


The Remedy to Despair

by LoveableLibra



Series: Living Through the Game [2]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: And yes the reader and Kokichi will definitely be end game, Angst, Characters taking time to HEAL let my babies be normal teenagers, Even if it doesn't seem like it at first, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post-Game AU, Sequel to my other fic Seventeen, So I'm just gonna say this is a slow burn, So don't stop reading after the first chapter!!!!, dun dun dun, or will they...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-07-24 12:19:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16174937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveableLibra/pseuds/LoveableLibra
Summary: Let’s face it, you wanted to be famous. It was hard to convince yourself after the killing game that you had any other motive, because you knew that underneath all the lies and denial you kept locked away within your mind, you had wanted that life. Prayed for that life. Hell, you were willing to die for that life. But at what price? Was it really wise to sacrifice your sanity for the inevitable spotlight, or will the mental burden become too much for you to handle?The price of being a reality TV star is steep, haunted by the horrors of the past only made worse by the crew who granted you that fame. From sudden post-game interviews to fans and harassers, it feels almost impossible to make this life one you could really enjoy. But thank god, you weren't alone anymore.A sequel of Seventeen.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'd just like to thank each and every one of my readers for being so patient and sticking with me through Seventeen! I'm so happy to finally be putting out the first chapters of it's sequel, which I've been working on for a while, but before we start I'd just like to say that I won't be making updates as frequently as I did for my last fic. I'm finally in my senior year of high school, and with that being said there's a lot going on (two AP classes, school plays, applying to college, etc.), and I hope you'll be able to be patient with me through this as well! Anyway, enough with my rambling and let's get on with the story!!!!!

Let’s face it, you wanted to be famous. Ever since you were a kid you would sit in front of the television to admire the teenagers who had been through hell and back, their tired eyes hiding the extent to what their contracts wouldn’t allow them to reveal to the public; to their potential next contestants. In return, these teens were famous. They were granted wealth far beyond what you could ever dream of, and most of all, they were loved. Worshiped, even, by those who were complete strangers to them. And you had become one of them.

You were never able to understand the extent of the morbid reality behind the killing game. Nobody did. To those on the outside, it was only a farce; a harmless show made for your entertainment. You were reminded of it again and again, a disclaimer popping up on the screen before each episode reminding everyone that these players  _ did _ consent, that it was nothing more than an advanced simulation of a game that turned teenagers into murderers. But, even if that were true, did that really mean the contestants were safe?

You never cared. You clung to Danganronpa like as if it were a work of fiction, because in a way, that’s all it was to everyone who watched it. And when the opportunity arose to win that fame in a farce of a game like all the others before you had, you refused to let it pass you by. And from that moment forward, you sold your soul for a new life far away from the one you lived before. 

It was hard to convince yourself after the simulation that you had any other motive besides greed, because you knew that underneath all the lies and denial you kept locked away within your mind, you had  _ wanted _ that life.  _ Prayed  _ for that life. 

Hell, you were willing to  _ kill _ for that life.

But instead, you were  _ killed _ for that life. A little ironic considering the mentality you had carried with you for most of your adolescence, your only wish being to escape fate given to you in the small town you called home. But everything had become a little too real the moment you signed the contract by Kokichi’s side, and hesitance started to take over. Was the pain really worth the outcome? The trauma you were soon to be afflicted with, and the constant memories of your dead peers seeming to taunt you as if they really happened. The looming guilt that would soon hang over your shoulders because you couldn’t stop them. Was any of it really worth the fame you were given?

You really, really hoped so.


	2. Reconciliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised myself the chapters wouldn't be as long as the ones in Seventeen... And I broke that promise.

_One by one people began to file out of the building, escorted by one of the guards to the bus waiting outside. It took a while for your feet to feel unstuck from their place on the floor as you stared blankly at the wall. After taking everything in, your head hurt. It was a dull throbbing in your temples, accompanied by a wave of fatigue that clouded your mind. You were tired, so tired, but all you could do was stand there, only feeling the papers beneath your fingertips._

_It took Kokichi three times before he finally snapped you out of your daze, gently shaking your shoulder as he called out to you. His voice was much quieter than you had ever heard before, soft and shaky as he spoke, “(y/n)? Come on, we have to go.”_

_“Sorry, I just… I was just thinking,” you apologized, feeling as he intertwined his fingers with yours. The motion was comforting, bringing a faint smile to your lips as he began to lead you out of the building, his movements slow and wary. He was tired too, just as much as you were, but as you felt his hand in yours you seemed a little less so._

_After all, you were finally free._

 

The night was hazy, a dark shadow falling over the corridor you found yourself wandering through, a chill going down your spine as you turned the corner. Everything was familiar, _too_ familiar as goosebumps began to form on your arms. The walls were a dirty shade of rust, the low lighting seeming to get even dimmer the further on you continued. You felt like you were being watched, maybe even followed, as a knot of anxiety tightened in your stomach. You didn’t like it, you wanted to leave but no matter where you turned it was no use. There was no exit.

After what felt like hours of aimlessly walking, you found _it_. A wooden door stood elegantly against the weathered stone wall, giving off a warm vibe that seemed to draw you in. Without thinking, you reached for the silver door knob and pulled it open to reveal a familiar room. The walls surrounding you were a neutral sand color, with comfortable furniture placed carefully in the vicinity. Across from you was a mirror, black looping embellishments bordering the reflective surface.

You took a step closer, bracing your hands on the table below it as you forced yourself to look up, though what greeted you wasn’t your reflection. It was as if you weren’t there, in your place being a girl with long dark hair staring back at you, her crimson eyes filled with a hatred you couldn’t comprehend. Her malicious glare pierced your entire being, seeming to taunt you as she brandished a silver dagger.

At once everything was engulfed in a white light, dissolving the world before you as your eyes were forced open to reveal reality. Beams of sunlight were streaming in through the blinds, falling to rest on your eyes unpleasantly. Your nose scrunched up in distaste as you turned over in hopes of getting a few more minutes of sleep, but somebody had other plans for you, as seconds later the blanket that warmly covered your body was tugged off the bed, a gust of cold air taking its place. With a high-pitched yelp you shot up in your bed, nearly hitting your forehead on the bunk above you.

Kaede let out a giggle, a large brown comforter bundled in her hands as she bounced on her heels. As usual, she was a ball of energy in the morning, or rather afternoon, you assumed, brandishing a wide grin to accompany her words, “Come on, we need to get up and get packed, (y/n). We’re going home today, remember? You can’t sleep in until two like you usually do.”

“What time is it now?” you asked, mustering up the energy to drag yourself out of bed. The previous night had been rough for you, worse than any other night you spent in the facility. Textbooks and notebooks were scattered all around your bed, perfect evidence to show how little sleep you actually got.

Kaede checked her watch as you searched around your side of the room for some clothes to wear that day, sifting around the piles on the floor you never bothered to clean up, “Around ten, you have two hours until our parents come to pick us up. I already got everything packed and ready, so if you want I can start yours while you shower.”

You grinned, she was always so nice to you, even when your lack of sleep caused you to snap. Maybe it was from your time spent together as roommates, she understood more than anyone the side effects you were facing due to the game. But that being said, you knew about hers as well. Underneath that happiness she showed to everyone was panic attacks that took hours to dissipate, a heavy guilt that hung on her shoulders, and constant flashbacks that would happen out of nowhere. Everyone had similar experiences, but you were learning to deal with them.

With a nod, you grabbed a simple outfit out of your dresser and disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door behind you. From there you began your normal routine, placing your clothes on the counter and turning on the shower, allowing the hot water to run for a moment before getting undressed. Already, the steam from the shower filled the room, fogging up the mirror in a white haze.

When you returned from the bathroom your suitcase was out, most of your clothes neatly placed inside it, and the disaster you had made of your side of the room had disappeared. Kaede was sat in front of your bag, her legs tucked underneath her as she folded up one of your shirts. A pang of guilt ran through you as you joined her on the floor, taking the blouse from her hands, “I’ve got it from here, you go hang out with Shuichi, okay?”

She began to protest, “But-”

“No buts. This is my stuff, I’ll take care of it. Now go, have some fun. Oh, and don’t forget to stop by Dr. Sato’s, he said he’s refilling all our medication before we go,” you said, haphazardly placing the shirt in with the rest of your clothes.

With a sigh she picked herself up, hesitating in front of the door for a moment before disappearing out into the hall. You were tempted to do the same, leave and spend time with Miu or Kokichi, maybe crash Shuichi and Kaede’s impromptu “date”. But instead you were stuck in your room, packing at the last minute like you always did.

Kaede had only left your undergarments for you to pack, thankfully, as well as the personal items that littered the top of your dresser and vanity. There wasn’t much, just a few family photos your mother had sent you (“So you won’t get lonely!”), as well as various little trinkets given to you from your friends, especially Miu. With a small smile you collected them all, placing them in a safe spot inside your suitcase so they wouldn’t get damaged.

The last thing you had left was your school work, if one could even call it that. Open on your bed was two math workbooks, both nearly completed in their entirety. You found that on the nights you couldn’t sleep, or when a nightmare wracked your brain and kept you awake, doing work often helped you calm down. Carelessly, you gathered everything together, shoving the books into your backpack with little regard to the state they were in. It’s not like you’d be turning them in, anyway.

Sitting down on the edge of your bed, you let out a sigh as you scanned the room. It was bare, all the decorations and posters you and Kaede hung up had been carefully taken down, leaving the plain white walls in their place. For the past month you had made this place yours, and now you were going to somewhere brand new. You were told many times before that your parents, along with the families of the rest of your peers, had gotten rehoused in a small town not too far away from your old one, leaving you to wonder if your new home would be able to provide you the same comfort the rehabilitation center had given you.

Riddled with fatigue, you fell back on the soft blanket that covered your bed, feeling the plush softness beneath your exposed skin. You had an hour until you were forced to bid this place goodbye and readjust to your life before the game. No more late night raids of the cafeteria with Kokichi when you both couldn’t sleep, no more group hangouts in the common room where you talked and joked around instead of doing your school work, and no longer would you be able to see your friends whenever you needed them. Because even though you would be living in a close proximity, it wouldn’t be the same.

A knock at the door pulled you out of your daze, sitting up and yelling for the person behind it to come inside. As you figured, the person who entered was Kokichi, looking around in curiosity at the vacant walls that surrounded you. He was dressed casually, a large white sweater hanging from his torso that seemed to envelop him whole. He had a lot of those these days.

Noticing your gaze, Kokichi followed your eyes and cracked a grin, “Wow, I know I’m hot but it’s impolite to stare, (y/n). Shame on you.” He paused for a moment, leaning against the doorframe with a dejected sigh, “But man, this room is bare. Did you get to keep any of the posters?”

“Yeah, Kaede packed up a few of my favorites for me when I was in the shower. I made sure she included that one we stole from Dr. Sato’s office when we first got here,” you explained, letting out a laugh at the memory, “He wasn’t even mad! God, you know I’m really going to miss this place. And miss having you right next door.”

He took a seat next to you on the bed and leaned back on his hands, “Yeah, tell me about it. Now who am I going to bother at three in the morning?”

“You can still bother me, we’re not going to live that far apart. It’s going to be just like before, you can ride your bike over and climb through my window again if you really want,” you explained, nudging his shoulder with yours. He nudged you back, a moment later moving to rest his head in the crook of your neck, a pang of guilt running through you as he did so.

“You know I will. Your room better not be on the second floor, though. I’m not agile enough to climb that shit,” he joked, “You may be my favorite person, but I’m not risking any broken bones for your ass.”

You leaned your head on top of his, closing your eyes in an attempt to relax, “You won’t have to worry about that, my mom already told me that my sister called the upstairs bedroom. So I’m stuck on the ground floor, where random creeps can climb through my window whenever they want.”

“Good.”

A silence passed over the two of you, comfortable as it had always been, though Kokichi seemed to notice how your mind was running wild. A moment went by before he pulled away, turning to you with a more serious expression, “Hey, so I need to talk to you about something important before we go home.”

You were taken aback, “Um, yeah, I actually needed to as well. What a coincidence…” you trailed off, feeling as he took your hand in his, running his thumb over the back. You bit the inside of your cheek, “You first.”

He shook his head, “No, you. I want to hear what you have to say.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, watching him nod in confirmation. Returning the action, you took a deep breath, preparing yourself for what you were about to say, “Okay, well… I guess I should just be blunt, but I think I want to take a break for now. In our relationship.”

His expression was blank, unreadable, until the faintest sign of relief crossed his features, “Thank god, I am so glad we’re on the same page. You really can read my mind, can’t you?”

You let out a soft laugh, “Maybe I can. But, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. We’re both damaged from this game, and I mean really damaged, and I want for both of us to focus on healing before we worry about maintaining a relationship. And… this is going to sound stupid, but I want our relationship to happen naturally, I guess? I mean, no false memories or any of that. Just, to be like normal high schoolers.”

“Yeah, I feel the same way. If we base our relationship off of what happened in the show, I feel like it won’t lead to anything good. I think right now, we should try and be the best friends we were before,” he agreed, his hand squeezing yours reassuringly, “And then see where it goes from there.”

Without thinking your leaned forward, pulling him into a hug, “Of course. You know, you’ll always be my best friend, relationship or not. I mean, I’ve been putting up with you since middle school. If I stuck with you through that, I can be your friend through anything. Especially that stupid killing game.”

He let out a laugh, pushing you away, “I’m not that bad. You should’ve seen yourself back then, always freaking out about anime and wearing that stupid baggy hoodie of yours. It’s a wonder how I even had a crush on you in the first place.”

“Oh, don’t you even start with me. I have so much dirt on you from back then. Does the word ‘Homestuck’ ring a bell?” you teased, poking him on the side, “Or maybe you’d remember your Hetalia phase more. You _did_ carry that one bag around with you everywhere, you know, the one with Russia on it-”

“Stop! We don’t talk about that!”

“How can I not talk about it when you used to make me read your old fanfic-”

Before you could finish he shoved you off the bed, your laughing form landing on the ground with a dull thud. Thankfully, all the rooms were carpeted with a plush flooring, giving you a soft impact with the ground below. Nevertheless, you pulled yourself up with a groan, aiming a half-hearted glare at Kokichi, “Was that really necessary?”

“Yes. You know we don’t speak of old fanfiction,” he scolded, a feigned shudder going down his spine as he spoke in a dramatic tone, “I wrote so many Mary Sue characters… I don’t want to be reminded of those dark times.”

You gave him a chuckle, deciding to sprawl out on the floor instead of joining him back on the bed, placing your arm behind your head to act as a pillow, “Me neither. But hey, at least now we’ve grown enough that we can make fun of stuff like that. Like, remember those old drawings I used to do!?”

“Oh my god, you used to draw my shitty OC’s for me,” he remembered, his eyes widening, “Please tell me you still have them!”

You shook your head quickly, covering your face with your free hand in embarrassment, “Last time I checked I did, and knowing my parents, they didn’t throw any of my old sketchbooks away when they moved to the new house. I wish they did, those were so bad! Why did I give my characters so many unnecessary belts!?”

“We all did, my dear (y/n). Those were simpler times, back then. You wrote fanfictions with the title ‘Lemon, Don’t Like Don’t Read’ and drew characters with twenty belts and an eye patch,” he joked, eliciting a giggle from you.

The talk of old memories and middle school went on for what felt like hours, even though it had only been a fraction of that time. During which, you both tried your best at recalling old anecdotes, but most of them were lost in the jumble of false memories from the simulation. Everyone said it would take a while before everything was brought back, but you couldn’t help but feel impatient. When would you finally be able to sit down with your best friend and remember all the memories you cherished with them?

 In the midst of your laughter and recollection, a knocking at the door sounded through the room. Raising an eyebrow, you sat up and turned towards the source, leaning back on your hands as you called for them to come in.

Timidly, the person opened the door, revealing themselves in the threshold. Shuichi took a step inside, Kaede following soon after with her fingers intertwined with his, an excited smile on her face once she spotted you, “Hey (y/n), Kokichi, it’s time! Our parents should be arriving at any minute, so Tsumugi wants us to meet up in the front hall.”

You nodded, pulling yourself up from the floor completely, “Alright, we’ll be down there in a second. Just let me grab my stuff really quick.”

“Okay, do you want me to wait for you? We can walk down there together,” Kaede offered.

Before you could answer, however, Kokichi shook his head and stood up beside you, “Actually, I wanted to have a moment alone with her before we leave. You guys can go on ahead, we’ll meet up with you after, alrighty?”

The pair nodded, leaving you alone and closing the door behind them. Once you were in solitude you turned to Kokichi, raising an eyebrow as a smirk played on your lips, “A moment alone with me? What ever could that be for?”

“Anything you want, babe,” he joked, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you closer to him. For a moment, an expression of dejection flashed across his features, quickly replaced by his usual mischievous grin, “But really, I just needed to do something. I know we agreed that we’re not together anymore, but I’m gonna miss this.”

One of his hands moved up to cup your cheek, his thumb lightly caressing the skin below it. Pushing back a strand of loose hair, he leaned forward, his lips gently pressing against yours. Unlike most of the other kisses he had given you, in the game and out of it, this one was almost shy. Like a first kiss you’d share with someone in the beginning of a new relationship; timid and hesitant, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.

When he pulled away the smile he wore before had grown as he pressed one final kiss to your forehead, “Now let’s get going, we can’t keep our families waiting forever.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” you said, pulling away to grab your suitcase, extending the handle and letting it roll behind you. Following your lead, he held open the door for you as you exited the room, closing it behind him once he did so as well. Together, you both headed down to the front hall, a mixture of anxiety and excitement forming in your stomach at the prospect of going home.

Before you could even enter the room you heard the sound of elated chatter from inside, voices that weren’t familiar blending with ones that were too much so. Taking a deep breath, you shot a glance back at Kokichi, his eyes meeting yours with the same hesitant expression. How would your parents react to seeing the two of you after not having the chance for months? Gritting your teeth, you forced down any feelings of doubt, opening the door before you had the chance to run away.

On the other side was a mass of foreign faces reuniting with your friends, some sharing the same sense of excitement, though most seemed to be just as reluctant as you were. With that comfort in mind, you stuck close to Kokichi as you scanned the room for your family, seeing as your mother and sister stood by a table near the back of the room, chatting with another family that looked strikingly familiar.

Grabbing Kokichi’s arm, you motioned towards the groups who had failed to notice your entrance, too absorbed in their conversations to realize your presence, “Hey Kokichi, they’re right over there!”

He followed your gaze, letting out a slight chuckle at the sight, “I figured our moms would be gossiping together. They never change, do they?”

Before you could respond, though, the sound of his voice seemed to alert your parents, as a second later they were looking up to both of you, wide smiles of welcome across their features. Without hesitation, your older sister rushed past your mother, haphazardly enveloping you in an overbearing hug. You couldn’t help but tense up in her embrace from the surprise, her noticing how your whole body seemed to freeze like that of a scared child. She pulled away, keeping her hands rested on your shoulders as she spoke, “What’s wrong? You aren’t hugging me back.”

“I’m sorry,” you started, trying to stop the irrational trembling in your words. You were safe now, you thought, nothing wants to hurt you anymore; the doctor taught you as much. Hoping your sister wouldn’t notice, you took a deep breath before continuing, “It’s nothing, I was just startled, that’s all.”

It was a lie, of course, but you weren’t going to tell her what was really going on in your mind. How your breathing seemed to stop as a surge of fear shot through your entire body, even though you knew how irrational it was. And then, you were trapped in that night. Your vision would blank, and then all you could see was Maki, her form pinning you down as she brandished a silver dagger over her head.

It wasn’t the first time you had experienced these flashbacks. They started the first night you were in the facility, the same recurring nightmare plaguing your unconscious state. But unlike when you were younger, this felt real. You knew who the woman was now, no longer was she just a dark, nameless silhouette. You woke up screaming that night, and it was the first time Kaede had ever comforted you. Her words were soft as she climbed down from her bunk, approaching you slowly and grabbing your hands, her thumbs stroking the backs of your palms until you had calmed enough to let her hug you. Over time, the episodes were getting less severe, but anything too sudden was enough to send you over the edge.

Nevertheless, your sister didn’t catch on to your discomfort in the action, smiling once again as she grabbed your bag from the floor, wheeling it up beside her, “Good, ‘cause I missed you a lot, you jerk. Do you know how many people came up to me at school asking if we were related?”

“I’m guessing a lot. What did you tell them?” you asked curiously, a hint of humor growing in your tone. Humor was always something you used to cloak your true feelings, and you hoped it would help the ever-present sensation of anxiety fade away soon.

“That I had no idea who that little brat was. Speaking of little brats-” She turned to Kokichi and ruffled his already messy hair, “-it’s good to have you back. Our house is a lot more quiet without all your stupid pranks. I could actually do my school work in peace without having to go to the library for once.”

Kokichi let out a chuckle, “Well don’t worry, I’m coming back in full swing. I’ve had so much time to think of new pranks, it’ll hardly feel like I was gone at all!” he exclaimed, laughing again at the horrified look on your sisters face, “But for now I’m gonna go talk to my family, okie dokie? Have fun sleeping tonight, (s/n)!”

“Brat,” she spat, her face blanching slightly from the threat. As much as she’d hate to admit it, she knew Kokichi would stay true to his promise, and with his return left all of her quiet time to study. She eyed him warily as he headed towards his parents, turning back to you as soon as he was out of earshot, “Why the hell are you even dating that little devil?”

You shook your head, brushing off her question as you started in the direction of the rest of your family, “He’s been my best friend for years, you know he’s not the only ‘little devil’ around you, (s/n).” You looked back to see she was following right behind you, meeting her eyes with the best grin you could muster, “Sleep with one eye open, sis.”

“Don’t you dare-!”

“Mom!” you exclaimed, cutting your sister off as you picked up your pace to meet your mother, her expression showing one of amusement at the bickering between her daughters. Standing up on your toes, you wrapped your arms around her shoulders in a gentle hug, your mother noticing how timid your actions were in a stark contrast with the boisterous personality you displayed outwardly. She ran her hand over your back soothingly before letting go, as if to tell you that she understands.

“Look at you, only gone for a few months but you already seem all grown up,” she mused, her eyes flitting down to the floor for a moment before meeting yours once again, “But no matter how old you look, a girl your age shouldn’t have dark circles like that.”

You were taken aback by her comment, but feigned a smile in response, “I’m fine mom, I just didn’t get that much sleep last night. I was up packing last minute like I always do, you know me.”

Normally most weren’t able to catch you in the midst of a lie, but if anyone was an exception, it was your mother. She raised an eyebrow, as if to let you know she didn’t believe you, but after a moment dropped the subject altogether as your sister pulled up beside the two of you. She instead grabbed your suitcase from (s/n), motioning towards the exit, “Let’s get going, I can’t wait to show you your new room. You’re going to love it.”

Giving your friends a brief goodbye, you allowed your mother to lead you out of the facility, the blinding sun hindering your vision as soon as you stepped outside. Squinting, you shielded your eyes from the glare, still not used to the natural light despite your month of being free from the simulation. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t been out from the white walls of the rehabilitation center since, though the courtyard you were allowed to traverse reminded you too much of the academy. Visually, the two weren’t similar in the slightest, but too many times during the game had you laid out underneath the trees, basking in the warmth of the ever-present perfect day, or taken a stroll down the many paths along the school in hopes of forgetting why you were there in the first place, to associate the courtyard with anything but that of a mental escape from the killing game.

Doctor Sato theorized that subconsciously, you didn’t want to escape. Somewhere deep down you were clinging to the memories from inside the simulation, afraid of forgetting what happened to you and your friends but hoping and praying that the nightmares would go away. It had become a part of who you were, Danganronpa, and whether you liked it or not, it had changed you; that you knew all too well. But maybe the change wasn’t entirely a bad thing. There was a reason you signed that waver in the first place, right?

Lost deep in thought, you almost missed your mother beckoning you towards a car you’ve never seen before, it’s impeccable cleanliness suggesting it was brand new. She pulled the keys belonging to it out of her purse, unlocking the doors and opening the trunk to place your suitcase inside. Casting a quick glance back at you, your sister bolted towards the front seat before you had time to react, climbing into the shotgun with a triumphant laugh. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight of your sister acting so childish, but didn’t voice any complaint as you took a seat in the back and leaned against your hand to gaze out the window.

After a few moments the car started up, the scenery before you moving past the glass slowly with it’s movement away from the parking lot. You turned around, looking out the back window to see the all-too-familiar figures of your friends leaving the facility with their families, some packing their stuff up just like your mother had a few minutes prior, while others were leaving just like you were. With a small bump you made it onto the main road, a familiar vehicle following behind you. Letting out a chuckle, you waved, catching Kokichi’s eye who gladly waved back, blowing you a kiss afterwards.

The rest of the drive home went by in a blur, the city unfolding through the window foreign to your eyes. The bits and pieces of your old town that you could recollect looked nothing like your current surroundings, meaning what Tsumugi said was really true. You had been relocated far away from your old neighborhood. A wave of relief rushed through you as your mother pulled down a side street, the houses lined along the road being completely new.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, your mother pulled up in a seemingly random driveway, the house attached much grander than your childhood home. It was two stories high, but it towered over you as if it were much taller, and was at least twice as wide. Your sister was the first out of the car, opening the door for you with a cocky smirk,  “Welcome home, sis.”

“ _T_ _his_ is our house!?” you asked, astonishment clear in your tone as you stepped out onto the lush lawn before you. After a moment of processing, a grin tugged at the corners of your lips, “Wait, don’t tell me… how big is my room?”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder in a gloating manner, “Well, I got the nice one on the second floor, but yours is around the same size. But get this, both are pretty much three times bigger than our old ones. And you know what the best part is?”

“What?” you asked, deciding to humor her.

“You better believe we both got walk-in closets. Come on, I can’t wait to show you everything,” she insisted, grabbing your hand before you were able to object. With the excitement of a child she led you up the front steps, throwing open the front door with a flourish. What waited behind it, however, was far from what you were expecting. Instead of a calm, serene house you got streamers and confetti, a large banner streaming across the ceiling welcoming you home. Familiar faces you couldn’t quite place jumped out from behind chairs and tables, yelling something that was hard to make out through all the commotion.

You stumbled backwards, your sister catching your shoulders to steady your paralyzed form and push you further inside. As she did so, people started to approach you, enveloping you in embraces you didn’t return and giving you greetings that felt insincere. Slowly, the memories rushed back to you with each interaction. Family members, distant friends, old acquaintances. People, as you soon realized, you were never really close to. Of course, before the game you didn’t really have many friends, and that truth was bitter.

Somewhere among the sea of people, you hoped to see Kiyo and Hana, but when their faces never showed, you were forced to accept the fact that they had never existed in the first place. On the surface, you knew they were just part of some implanted memories, but deep down you had hoped and prayed they were more than just that. Everything was answered, though, once you crossed over the threshold. That girl in Danganronpa was never _you_ , and you hated how much you longed for that false life.

Amongst everyone who arrived, you tried to act normal, doing everything you knew you were supposed to. You hugged your grandparents and agreed that yes, you were in fact bigger than they had last seen you. You listened to your uncle tell stories about his last fishing trip, and agreed with your aunt to go get a manicure together with empty promises of discussing the details later. Your old high school acquaintances asked questions that were almost _too_ personal about the killing game, though instead of correcting them you answered vaguely in hopes that they didn’t catch your discomfort. But of course, they never did.

After a half an hour, everything got too overwhelming for you to handle. Silently, you slipped off to the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind you and sinking down to the floor with your back against the hard wooden surface. Pulling your knees up to your chest, you could feel your heart racing, something you hadn’t noticed before. You couldn’t handle this anymore. Nobody there really cared about you, you knew the only reason they were in your house was because of your newfound fame. Their feigned smiles gave it away, lies of missing your presence only true to themselves.

The window. Right across from you, covered by decorative curtains was a larger window, big enough for you to crawl through. In your fit of panic, it was your only chance to escape the hell of a party you were trapped in. Without hesitation, you pulled yourself up from the floor and drew back the blinds, unlocking the window and pushing it open. Only then did you notice the view outside, and the person crawling out of their own window right next door.

You stopped in your tracks, your mind taking a moment to process who it was, “Kaede?”

The girl in question froze, halfway out of the house with one leg dangling from the window. She met your eyes shyly, shame filling her expression, though she didn’t retreat back inside like you expected. With a soft grin, you followed suit, hoisting yourself over the window ledge as you spoke, “What are you running from?”

“My parents decided to throw me a surprise party…” she trailed off, hopping into the grass below her, “It’s a long story, but I’d rather be anywhere else right now.”

You repeated her actions and closed the window behind you, “Don’t worry, the same happened to me. Just a bunch of relatives I haven’t seen in years and people from my old school pretending like they were my friends all along. Even before I saw you I was planning on sneaking out.” You glanced around, unsure of what to do next, “Do you want to take a walk or something?”

“That sounds nice.”

With that, the two of you set off away from your houses, traversing the unfamiliar suburb with little care as to where you ended up. The neighborhood itself was made for the upper class, from what you could tell, littered with expensive cars and grand homes similar to your own. It was much different from your old town, but for some reason, this felt safer. Maybe it was because you knew all your friends were right there with you.

After a while Kaede broke the comfortable silence that had settled over the two of you, her tone soft and hesitant, “(y/n)? Before the game… were you any different than you are now?”

The question caught you off guard, but you didn’t even have to think much before you responded, “Yeah, a little bit. I didn’t make friends very easily like I did in the simulator, I was usually pretty shy growing up. Kokichi was pretty much the only person who brought me out of my shell, but even then we didn’t have much besides each other.” You paused for a moment, “What about you?”

“I was a lot different,” she started, her gaze shifting towards the pavement, “I was cold. Apathetic. I had no faith in humanity and didn’t want anything to do with it. I thought the game would be my escape, and in a way it was. It turned me into this… person. This generous and empathetic girl who just wanted to help everyone. And the thing is, I like being that girl.” She slowed down her pace, still keeping her eyes glued to the ground, “I’m just afraid that my old self is going to take over again. I didn’t have any friends growing up, so losing you guys would be like losing everything.”

“Is that why you snuck out?” you asked.

She nodded, “Everything just reminded me of the past. They invited people from my old high school, people I didn’t even know; I refused to talk to anyone back then. And while I was at that party, it became just so overwhelming to remember who I used to be. The only thing I could find myself thinking about was how I might lose the only friends I’ve ever had.”

“You’re not going to lose us, Kaede. I can assure you that no matter who you are or how you act, you’re not going to lose us,” you said, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking. She finally met your gaze again, her eyes slightly bloodshot from crying, though your words seemed to have calmed her down, “Don’t you remember what we promised at that rehab center?”

“That we wouldn’t steal any more pudding from the cafeteria?” she guessed, earning a soft chuckle from you.

“Okay smartass, I meant what we promised each other, not that poor staff we tormented,” you said, watching as she grinned and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve, “We’ve been through too much to stray apart. And even if the whole world is against you, we’re gonna be here, Kaede.”

You started walking once again, Kaede letting out a giggle as you did so, “You’re so cheesy, you know that? Is this how you act with Kokichi when I’m not there?”

“He wishes. Usually when we’re alone it’s the same as when we’re with you guys, well, minus a few good makeout sessions. I typically save the cliche and cheesy stuff for my friends.” A sad smile was coaxed from your lips, “So I guess he’ll get to experience my sappy side after all… since we decided to go back to just being friends for now.”

Kaede was taken by surprise, all previous thoughts of inferiority thrown out the window at the new information, “What!? You two broke up? You guys are probably the best couple I know, what happened?”

You shoved your hands in your pockets nonchalantly, giving her a shrug, “It was mutual. We just decided to take a break until we’re better from the simulation. I mean, all of our memories aren’t back yet, and it doesn’t help that we have to deal with our mental health as well. We just thought it was for the best for both of us to focus on healing instead of worrying about maintaining a romantic relationship as well.”

“Are you really okay with that, though?” she asked.

You nodded, “Yeah, I am. No matter what, he’s still going to be my best friend; that will never change. And even though one day I would like to be with him again, I’d want it to be real, not based on the fake memories we were given.”

“That sounds nice. I wish something like that would happen with Shuichi and I,” she mused, her eyes lighting up as soon as his name left her mouth.

You raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you two already together though?”

“What? Oh, no, we’re not. That would be nice, but I don’t think he feels the same way about me. And I’d usually have the guts to just ask him outright, but he’s so timid I’m afraid to scare him off,” she explained.

Before you could respond, you heard another voice from a house you were passing interrupt your thoughts, “What!?”

Whipping around, you saw Rantaro standing on the porch of a home much like your own, the chair behind him moved astray as if he had just shot up from it hastily. His face colored slightly from the sudden outburst, and in a second he was apologizing, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in on your conversation like that, it’s just you two were walking by and you’re not exactly the most quiet people-”

“Chill, it’s alright Rantaro. I’m glad someone else shares my confusion,” you said, motioning for him to join you on the sidewalk, “Come here and explain to my friend Kaede why what she just said was completely ridiculous.”

He obliged, hopping down the steps to take the spot next to you. Kaede began to object, but he cut her off, “Hey, she’s right. I’m pretty sure everyone thought the two of you were dating. You guys hold hands all the freaking time, how could he not like you!?”

“Holding hands doesn’t mean that he likes me-”

“Yes it does, because you know what you guys do? You don’t just hold hands platonically like this,” you demonstrated, holding up Rantaro’s hand and grasping it in yours for her to see, “You guys hold hands like this.” You moved to intertwine your fingers with his, the others face flushing a light pink once again, “Which is universal code for you want to bang. Or, if you’re not vulgar like Miu, you want to be together.”

After the explanation you let go of Rantaro’s hand as if you were dropping a microphone, him giving a laugh at your dramatics. Kaede, on the other hand, didn’t retort as you would expect, rolling her eyes as she spoke, “Okay, fine. I’ll ask him out, but if he rejects me it’s your fault, okay?”

You nodded excitedly, “I accept all responsibility!”

“Me too, even though I didn’t really do anything,” Rantaro agreed, a look of confusion crossing his features, “Hey, why are you guys over here in the first place? Not that I don’t enjoy your company or anything, but I didn’t think either of you lived near me. Like at all.”

Kaede’s expression noticeably dropped, so you took the liberty of explaining, “Our parents threw us both surprise parties that we didn’t want to be at, you know with family and people from our old schools, so we snuck out together to get away from everyone. For now we’ve been wandering around this neighborhood and I don’t think anyone’s really noticed that we’re gone. Do you want to join us?”

Sympathy flashed across his features, “How about you guys join me? I have a bonfire pit in the backyard that my parents got going, so we can invite everyone else over and have our own little welcome home party.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet. See Kaede, I’m not the only cheesy one here, our one and only avocado boy also has a soft spot,” you mused, “We’ll take you up on that offer, Rantaro.”

“Avocado boy-?”

“Shh, don’t worry about it.”

With that, he led you both through the large back gates of his house, making sure they closed behind you as if not to let something out. Before you could question it, however, a tiny mound of fur sped across the lawn to you and Kaede, jumping on your shins in excitement as small yips sounded from its mouth. With a laugh Rantaro swooped down to pick the animal up, cradling it in his arms, “I’m sorry about that, she gets really excited when new people are over.”

“Your dog is so cute! What’s her name?” Kaede asked, reaching over into Rantaro’s arms to pet her belly. The dog, who had been trying to escape his grasp, instantly calmed down at her touch.

Rantaro colored, looking away from the two of you in shame, “Well, um… you see, the thing is… her name’s Chiaki.”

You didn’t even try to hide your laugh, “Chiaki!? As in Danganronpa season two Chiaki Nanami?”

“Shut up! I named her when I was like ten, I had the biggest crush on her back then. My parents refuse to let me live it down,” he explained, placing Chiaki back down on the pavement, “I’m going to text the others, so make yourselves comfortable over at the bonfire pit. I’ll bring out blankets and stuff for when it gets cold later.”

Kaede smiled in appreciation, “Thank you, Rantaro.”

“No problem,” he replied, climbing up the steps to the back patio before heading inside, leaving you and Kaede in the backyard alone. The two of you decided to venture further into the yard, Chiaki following at your heels as you did so, finding a circle of nice chairs and benches surrounding a crackling fire. The setup was enough to fit your large group of friends, which was surprising in itself, not to mention how comfortable everything looked. From what you could recall, most of the bonfires you attended consisted of straining plastic chairs or thin blankets laid out on the cold ground. But _this_ was a whole other level. Picking up the dog at your feet, you happily plopped down onto one of the benches, sinking into the plush cushion supporting your back.

Kaede followed suit in the seat right beside you, both of your phones receiving a notification right as she did so. Quirking an eyebrow in curiosity, you slid your phone out of your pocket, praying that it wouldn’t be your mother. Thankfully, however, it wasn’t.

 

_Rantaro: Hey guys, so I decided it would be easier to set up this gc since we’re not in the same building anymore_

_Rantaro: But I’m having a bonfire over at mine tonight, (y/n) and Kaede are already here_

_(y/n): Yeet_

_Kokichi: Yeet seconded, but dude didn’t your parents throw you a welcome home party?_

_(y/n): How did you know!?_

_Kokichi: Cause mine threw me one too_

_(y/n): Of course they did, I swear to fucking god they have a hive mind_

_Kokichi: Oh you know they do_

_Kokichi: Why aren’t you there tho_

_(y/n): Snuck out with Kaede_

_Kokichi: Holy shit me too_

_(y/n): You snuck out with Kaede?_

_Kokichi: No, you know what I meant dumbass_

_Rantaro: ANYWAY, my address is 4309 Mattson_

_Himiko: Omg Rantaro I live right next to you_

_Tenko: I wish I could be that close to you Himiko >_< _

_Kokichi: Keep it in your pants_

_Maki: I’ll be there._

_Angie: Me too!_

_Kirumi: Thank you for the invitation._

_Kiibo: This is going to be so much fun! I’ll be over in a bit, Rantaro._

_Kaito: God all of you people who use proper punctuation in your texts freak me out_

_Kokichi: Yeah, me too, Kaito. They really, how do you say, rustle my jimmies._

_Kaito: Okay I’m going to kill whoever showed this fucker memes_

 

With a laugh you set your phone down, letting them battle it out themselves as you relaxed in front of the fire, feeling the warmth radiate onto your skin. A moment later Rantaro returned, walking towards you and Kaede with Himiko by his side, a few folded up blankets in his arms. He placed them on the vacant chair beside your seat, sitting down on the bench next to them. Himiko followed suit, greeting both you and Kaede before settling in next to Rantaro.

From there you guys chatted idly until the others arrived, filing in one by one through the back gate. As they did so Chiaki soon escaped from your grasp, jumping out of your lap to greet the new guests with kisses and tail-wagging. Everyone seemed to love the small pup, even Maki, who at first appeared to be rather indifferent until you caught her scratching the dog behind the ears. You smiled fondly at the sight, that is, until she met your gaze. Even though you had forgiven her for the simulation, her eyes still pierced you like daggers in a way that made your heart skip a beat. Quickly looking away, you returned to the conversation the others were having around the fire.

“Dude, you don’t even know how popular we are right now. I got stopped by some middle-aged lady while walking over here. It’s insane, I thought only teenagers watched this stuff,” Kaito explained, “I mean, this woman literally ran out of her house to get a picture.”

“Well, we did participate in the final season. I’m not surprised that we would have such a large audience,” Kiibo reasoned, his words still sounding somewhat automated as they did in the simulation. Seeing him now was strange, to say the least. You were so used to his metallic form and piercing robotic eyes, the thought of him being an actual human was far beyond what you could’ve imagined. But here he was, flesh and blood, just like everyone else.

Shuichi nodded his head in agreement, “It’s just like the contestants in the first and second season, everyone remembers them because they were the originals. But after that the seasons got more frequent, so even if you watched all of them you wouldn’t be able to remember _everyone_.” A mutter of realization went through the group, and he continued, “And since we, season 53, were the finale, everyone tuned in, and the producers made sure they remembered our names even after the show was long gone.”

It was silent for a moment as everyone processed this new information, that is, until a voice spoke up from right behind you, “Damn, our ace detective is spitting some knowledge.”

You jumped from your seat, a startled gasp escaping from your lips at the sound of their voice. The person in question chuckled, rounding to the other side of the bench and plopping down beside you, so close your shoulders were touching. Without even having to look, you could already tell who it was, “Kokichi, when did you get here?!”

“Oh, while all you losers were so invested in your little conversation I was able to sneak in without anyone noticing. Pretty impressive, huh?” he explained, patting his legs so Rantaro’s dog could jump up on his lap, “Even this little one didn’t notice me. You’re not a very good guard dog, now are you…” he checked the name tag around her neck, “Chiaki!? Dude, you named your dog after Chiaki Nanami?”

“Oh no don’t you start too,” Rantaro groaned, hiding his face in his hands, “Can we just change the subject before I have to start calling her something else?”

You gave him a teasing grin, but decided to oblige, “Alright, well now that everyone’s here, I have a question for one person in particular.” You turned to your right, balling your fist as if you were holding up a microphone, “Kokichi, will you please tell the audience why you were so late to our gathering?”

“Well that’s an easy question to answer, Miss (l/n). To answer simply, I was plotting your demise,” he answered, shrugging shortly after, “Or I snuck out of my house and ended up at a park on the opposite side of town. Whichever one is more interesting.”

“I had to sneak out too, my fucking parents threw me the shittiest surprise party ever. They scared the hell out of me when I first walked inside, I ended up leaving those fuckers like ten minutes later,” Miu said.

A few others agreed, offhandedly mentioning their own horror stories, leaving you to wonder just how little your parents understood about your conditions. From the sounds of it, your peers seemed to be affected in the same way you were, but you wanted to make sure. In a moment of courage, you spoke up, “Hey, guys? I was just wondering, do you ever freak out when stuff like that happens? Because today before I left, I had to hide in the bathroom because the party gave me an anxiety attack. All the people and loud noises drove me insane, I couldn’t handle any of it.”

Surprisingly, out of everyone who could respond, Maki was the first that spoke up, “You’re not weird, that happened to me as well before I came here. I don't know why our parents thought it was a good idea to throw parties for a bunch of traumatized teenagers, but mine did too. According to my parents I used to enjoy stuff like that when I was younger, but I sure as hell don’t anymore.”

“Tell me about it, I nearly decked every single one of those fuckers who jumped out to surprise me,” Miu agreed, casting a smile over to you, “The only parties I think I can stand anymore are the ones with you guys in it.”

Kokichi grinned at her words, breaking the serious atmosphere with his taunting, “Aw, Miu! You’re so sweet! Who knew something good could come out of that hideous mouth of yours!”

“Everybody except for _you_ ,” she groaned, though from her tone it was easy to tell her annoyance was feigned. Despite Kokichi’s constant teasing and theatrical lies, now that you were out of the game the others could tell he wasn’t acting the way he did out of malice, but out of humor as you remember him doing before the simulation. You guessed the producers just took that part of him and ran with it, exaggerating his personality to something beyond what is was before. The others understood that now, you were all shaped into people you weren’t, after all, and for the first time your friends were able to see Kokichi the same way you always had.

Angie laughed at the exchange between the two, seeming to have thought the same thing as you, “I am glad we are all getting along now that we are done with the show. It is nice to have such a good group of friends like you guys!”

“For once, I agree with Angie,” Tenko mused, her demeanor much more subdued since her memories returned, “In all seriousness, I don’t think anyone’s accepted me as much as you guys have. It’s made it really easy for me to come to terms with my sexuality, even if the producers made it pretty clear in the show.”

Kaito shrugged, “It’s no prob, dude. We always got each other’s backs no matter what. Especially next week, we gotta stick together.”

Him saying that brought a realization to all your minds. Next week. School. Covering your face with your hands, you sunk back in your seat with a frustrated sigh, “No, don’t remind me! Why do we have to go back to school so early? I’m not ready for this!”

“None of us are,” Kaede said, a murmur of agreement going around the fire, “But, at least we’ll all be going to the same school. I’m glad they had enough sense not to separate all of us, I’m pretty sure if we left some of you alone, you’d end up getting expelled.”

Though the statement was generalized, her tone was clear she aimed the comment at one person in particular. Everyone’s gazes shifted to the other side of you, where Kokichi lounged with his hands behind his head, a smirk playing on his lips as he spoke, “Who, me? What makes you think sweet, innocent ol’ me could get expelled?”

“Pretty much your whole personality screams ‘delinquent’, Kichi. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d probably wonder why you weren’t in jail already,” you joked, earning a laugh from the boy in question.

Kaito smiled at that, rubbing the back of his head with his hand, “I know better, and I _still_ don’t understand how this little shit hasn’t landed himself in prison.”

From the chair beside him, Korekiyo nodded, “Neither do I. It’s quite puzzling to think about, how one with a personality as so could be a free man.”

“Same here,” Miu said, “But, like, without all that fancy language and shit.”

“Gonta agrees.”

“So does Tenko!”

You waved your hand in the air to get the group's attention, that had devolved into a wave of agreements and speculations, speaking once enough people noticed, “Hey, just so you guys know, even though I wouldn’t doubt this kid would do something illegal, I can proudly say he has never actually done anything that could land him in jail.” You paused for a moment, putting your hand up to your chin in thought, “Wait… at least I think he hasn’t. I’m putting a lot my faith in shambled memories right now, but as far as I can recall, the worst thing he’s done is break curfew.”

Miu wolf-whistled, flashing an exaggerated wink towards you once your eyes met her gaze, “Yeah, and why exactly was he breaking curfew, (y/n)?”

“What do you mean?” you began, but by the time the realization hit you, you regretted saying a thing. With that picture in mind, your cheeks flushed a bright pink, “Oh, you ass! Get your mind out of the gutter, Miu! You know we didn’t even date before the game.”

“Yeah but friends with benefits-”

“You’re right,” Kokichi said, taking advantage of your flustered state to run with her idea, “She used to let me sneak into her room all Romeo and Juliet style, and then we would fu-”

“Nope! Nope, nope, nope! I swear to God, Kokichi Ouma if you finish that sentence I will make sure your hair is neon green for weeks!” you threatened, though he didn’t seem the tiniest bit affected by your harsh words.

He shrugged, tugging on one of the locks that framed his face, “I mean, I’ve always wanted to try out a new color.” His gaze flickered over to you, just in time to catch your eye roll, “Okay, relax (y/n), we’re only teasing you because we love you. And we also love messing with you, but it's mostly the first part!”

At that, you couldn’t help but let out a giggle. If anything that came from Kokichi Ouma’s mouth was the truth, it was the words that just found their way to your ears, a teasing tone hiding the true sincerity behind each sentence. He was right, they did love you, or at least you hoped they did. Because after everything you’ve been through, you were proud to say you were able to love the people you called friends. But you knew now, it went much beyond that.

They were your family.

With a dorky smile gracing your features, you casted your line of vision up towards the sky, bright flares of light dotting the ink-colored painting above you. The moon shone over you in its entirety, as if to finally welcome everyone home, which you knew now wasn’t just a place. Closing your eyes, you basked in the feelings around you. The cool night air kissed your cheeks and nose and the heat from the fire bloomed over your entire body, the sounds of crackling wood and pleasant voices filling the air. Nothing else mattered to you in that moment except for the present, feeling the safest you had in a long time.

A minute later, Kokichi placed his hand down next to you on the bench, his pinky finger resting comfortably on top yours in a way that felt almost deliberate. But even so, you didn’t move away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, so if you read this far DON'T PANIC! Kokichi and Reader are still end game, even if there may be a few detours here and there (wink wink). This is just a slow burn, because these two really need time to love themselves before they can focus on anything romantic. Most of all, for this story I wanted to emphasize the importance of friendship, because to me it is just as important as romance. So yeah, trust me, there will be romance later on, but for now just enjoy teenagers being teenagers!!!!!


	3. Killing the Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update!!! Like I said before, things have been super busy for me lately and I haven’t had much free time outside of filling out college apps and working on my portfolio. But that being said, I just finished this chapter for you all, so enjoy!!!

You and Kokichi were sat in front of your desk, crowded in front of the brand new laptop your parents had bought you with matching expressions of anticipation for what was before you. The screen was lit up with the bright white of the standard Google home screen, but now it felt more daunting than inviting as your fingers found their way to the keyboard, typing in the letters to form two specific words. Kokichi held the mouse in his hand, the cursor hovering over the search bar in hesitation as he looked over to you one final time, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

You raised an eyebrow at his question, a smirk pulling at your lips, “What, are you scared? Is our little Kokichi Ouma being a scaredy cat?” you teased, pinching his cheeks as if he were a child, “Hurry up and just do it already, you lil’ bitch, this curiosity is killing me.”

He swatted your hands away, “Hey, if anyone’s going to be a little bitch here, it’s you. I’m just making sure you know what you’re getting into before I press that search button. You know how the internet is, (y/n), you know how much  _ porn _ there is. I guarantee there’s going to be at least one piece of fanart of you-”

“I’m just going to stop you right there before you say anything else, because I’d rather not have to hit you for sounding like a pervert,” you said, covering his mouth with your hand to prevent him from replying, “But if you’re really so curious, yes, I know what I might find once I press this button, but it’s a risk I’m gonna take. Because I’m not a lil’ bitch, like you are.”

Before he could react, you pressed the “enter” key and watched as the page loaded, changing into a sea of navy text. Flooding the search engine were links upon links relating to you one way or another, your name bolded within the deep blue color of each headline. They came from every website imaginable, from Tumblr (you shuddered at the thought of what would show up there) to IMDb, even a few linking to various fanfiction forums. Removing your hand from his mouth, you casted a glance over to the boy beside you as if to ask which you should choose first, to which he happily responded by clicking the “images” tab with a devilish smirk. 

Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as you anticipated, most of what was contained in the page being screenshots from what you assumed was Danganronpa. Ever since you’ve been back you had made sure to stay far away from anything having to do with the show, leaving the clips and pictures on your screen completely foreign to your eyes. But by the clothes you were wearing in all of them it was easy to tell that the girl who littered your computer was the Ultimate Hypnotist. 

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t ever curious about just how much the show captured of you, knowing that it was probably quite a lot considering how long you lived in the game, but you were never able to bring yourself to press the play button on that very first episode. It was comforting to know, at least, that the others had the same feelings of interest and hesitance, but one picture in particular made the latter fade away in an instant. You and Kokichi were in one of the halls of the academy, your back against the wall as his body was pressed flush against yours, your hands tangled in his hair as he left a trail of kisses down your neck.

In an instant your face flushed a bright red, his doing the same once he followed your gaze. He seemed to read your mind as he began, not able to successfully muster the usual confidence he used in his tone, “Oh… I forgot that happened. Wow, we got pretty… hot and heavy, huh?”

“Kokichi, everyone saw this… oh my god, our parents saw us making out on TV!” you exclaimed, the image of your mother and father witnessing that on live television sending a shiver down your spine. But that wasn’t the worst part, as while the two of you sat petrified from the picture up on your screen, another memory resurfaced. With the realization you hid your face in your hands, unable meet his eyes as you spoke, “We… had sex in the simulator, didn’t we?”

What answered you was silence, but you still couldn’t bring yourself to look up, afraid of what you would imagine once you did. Afraid he didn’t hear you, you opened your mouth to speak once again, but was cut off by his voice, his words as quiet as your own, “Yeah… we did. How the hell I forgot about that is beyond me.”

“Same…” you trailed off, the corners of your mouth quirking up into the tiniest smile, “Wait, so you can joke around about  _ my _ sex life all you want, but when  _ you’re _ involved you’re suddenly all shy and embarrassed? What happened to the Kokichi I know, the one who has absolutely no shame?”

You finally lifted your head, relieved to see the grin that graced his features, despite how red his cheeks were. Rolling his eyes at your comment, he reached forward and quickly clicked off the picture of you two that was still up on the screen, “Joking about it is different than it actually happening, (y/n). And besides, did you just forget that we were being  _ recorded _ in the simulation?”

At his words, your face paled, “...Oh shit. Shit, Kokichi do you think they would actually-?”

“Already looking it up,” he said, adding his name next to yours on the search bar, followed by the words “sex scene”. What popped up, however, was not what you expected. Instead of videos of that night littering the browser, all that showed up was a few fanfiction links, as well as some to fanart you refused to click. With a sigh of relief, you sat back in your seat. At least Danganronpa had enough decency to keep something like that private. 

So consumed with the solace that washed over you, you failed to notice Kokichi trying to get your attention. It was only when he tapped your shoulder that you snapped out of it, sitting up and quirking an eyebrow as you laid eyes upon the laptop, seeing a still of yourself staring back at you. You would’ve thought it was another screenshot from the game, had your clothes not have been different from the outfit you wore inside the simulation, instead replaced with a deep violet dress. It wasn’t anything you owned, but something about it was strikingly familiar.

“What is this?” you asked, observing the screen with a confused curiosity. It was a youtube video, one you didn’t remember taking any part in. 

Kokichi gestured down to the title, “This video, my dear, contains our interviews from before the game. Or as the channel for Danganronpa calls it-” He cleared his throat, speaking in a tone akin to that of a sports announcer, “-’Before the Action: Exclusive Interviews with the Cast of Our Final Season’. A bit lengthy if you ask me, but it’s only got like fifteen views so it doesn’t really matter.”

“Only fifteen!?”

“Oh no, I’m sorry. It’s fifteen  _ million _ ,” he corrected himself, smirking at your reaction, “Not just fifteen, silly old me forgot how to count. But fifteen isn’t too far off, considering how most people probably clicked off when it came to your interview. It was just too boring for them to stand.”

You shook your head and ignored the comment, “All jokes aside, I really don’t remember doing these, Kokichi. I thought our recent memories were easier to get back?”

He shrugged, absentmindedly playing with the scroll wheel on the mouse, sending the webpage shooting up and down on your screen, “They’re supposed to be, that’s what Dr. Sato said, but I’m in the same boat as you.”

“I thought you remembered them? You said I was boring!”

He gave you a wink, booping you on the nose as he did so, “You should know by now that everything I say is a lie. But since we’re both on the same page, let’s check this baby out.”

“...Alright, let’s see how badly we embarrassed ourselves,” you sighed, hesitantly taking the mouse from Kokichi, who didn’t object as you pressed the play button. 

The thumbnail of you disappeared once the video loaded, the emblem for Danganronpa taking its place as the buffering ceased. The symbol lit up in a bright white against the dark background that accompanied it, flaring up before dissipating all together, it’s black screen fading with it to reveal a panning shot of what looked like a TV studio. Sat in chairs all around were sixteen familiar faces, getting their hair and makeup done in preparation for the interview to come. 

The first person to get questioned was none other than Rantaro, appearing to be perfectly relaxed in front of the cameras. But you expected as much, considering his participation in the 52nd season (a detail you often forgot). Despite his lack of stage fright, however, there was something about his mannerisms that felt unnerved. The smile that pulled at his lips was too wide, his excitement just a little too forced for the audience. Of course, the thought of losing your memories all over again for a killing game was enough to induce an anxiety attack, but for Rantaro it wasn’t just a thought. It was his reality, and because of the contract, he had little options to decline. Regardless, he still tired to be his charismatic self, and for the most part it was pretty convincing. But you knew him too well to fall for the act he put on. 

It felt like his interview came and went in an instant, Kaede taking his place in the hot seat not long after. She was dressed in pale pinks and muted violets, much like she still did in the present, but her face was what threw you off. She almost looked like a different person, her expression cold and unrelenting, akin to that of Maki when she was in the simulation. Kaede’s posture was slouched, arms crossed aggressively as if to close herself off from everyone around her. After she got settled, the interviewer began,  _ “So, we start off by asking this question to everyone, but why did you decide to audition for Danganronpa?” _

She barely hesitated at her response, her voice deeper, darker than usual when she spoke,  _ “It’s simple, I have no faith in humanity. If this dumb show gives me a reason to kill one of these idiots, I’m going to take that opportunity. Besides, I’m going to get a fuck ton of money after this. Is that a good enough motivation for you?” _

“What the hell?” Kokichi asked from beside you, his words riddled with confusion as he paused the clip, “Okay, this is not Kaede. Why is she acting so…”

“Apathetic?” you asked, to which he nodded, “She told me about it a few days ago before the bonfire, but  _ this _ is who she was before we went through the game. She was depressed and hated everyone around her, but Danganronpa gave her a sweet and caring personality. And she wants to keep it that way.”

He nudged you on the shoulder, “Look at you, getting everyone to tell them your secrets. But personally, I like her much better the way she is now. We already have one Maki, to deal with we don’t need two emo chicks.”

“Yeah, I guess so. But she seems happier now, just being around all of us. She didn’t really have many friends before.”

“Was she like us?” Kokichi asked, his mischievous tone laced with a hint of dejection at the thought of your past. You were both loaners, after all, outcasted by your peers for most of your school life.

You didn’t respond right away, instead continuing the video as you tried to get your thoughts together. With a legarthic smile, you placed your hand over his briefly, “Yeah, she was like us.”

Kaede’s interview was much longer than Rantaro’s, most likely because of her fresh face; you had a feeling it would be the same for the rest of you. And you were right, as Shuichi’s time in the spotlight was just as lengthy. But he was… nowhere near as composed he usually acted, appearing small as the bright lights shone down on him, his fingers trembling when he went to adjust his hat. But when he started talking was when the difference was really clear. Inside that head of his was a hardcore fan of Danganronpa, that much was easy to tell, with a fascination for the gruesome puzzles involved.

Its seemed to be a common theme, for your friends to be given different personalities than what they already had. But for some, like you, they remained almost the same, albeit altered and tweaked in a few ways until you were deemed fit. But it made you wonder, just what did the producers see in your demeanor was interesting enough to keep?

Finally, after Miu (who surprisingly, wasn’t very keen on swearing) took her leave, it was your turn in the spotlight. A jolt went through you once you saw your familiar form come into frame, smiling bashfully as you took a seat across from the interviewer. The costume department had placed you in that familiar violet dress you saw before, your hair and makeup done wonderfully to match, but despite how you looked on screen, you could tell all the bright lights and cameras made you weak with nerves. But, thankfully, you were good at hiding it.

After a few pleasantries, you got right into the interview, the woman across from you starting the questions off as she always did,  _ “So, what everyone wants to know is the reasoning behind your audition. What drove you to stepping through those doors and joining this killing game?” _

You watched as you thought for a moment on the screen, eyes flitting over to the left before answering,  _ “I’ve always loved the show, I’ve watched pretty much every season religiously since I was younger, so since I’m finally old enough to be a part of it I took that opportunity. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a part of something as big as this, with the all interviews and fans and glamor. It was just an obvious choice.” _

_ “So, how exactly did you feel when you first got that call saying that you would be given a role in Danganronpa?” _ she asked, leaning forward on her elbows as she listened for your response, neglecting the questions already written down on the clipboard that sat in her lap. 

_ “I was definitely surprised, especially considering how many other interesting people auditioned and didn’t get a part. Kokichi was actually there with me when I got the call, and he was so excited that he didn’t even realize his phone was ringing as well until I told him to pick it up. It was already unbelievable to think one of us would get chosen, let alone both of us, so after he hung up we both lost our minds.” _

The interviewers eyes seemed to light up,  _ “That’s right, you and your best friend were both casted for this season! You know, this is the first time in Danganronpa history where two people as close as you are were chosen for the show. How do you feel about that?” _

Kokichi nudged you on the shoulder, winking once you glanced over to him. The reason behind the action was obvious, though, as on screen your face was flushed a light pink when you began to answer, casting your gaze to the ground in an obvious sign of your affections,  _ “I definitely wouldn’t be as comfortable doing this without him. I mean, I loved meeting everyone else and making new friends, but he’s been here with me through everything, and I’m happy to have him here with me now. I don’t think I’d be able to do this without him.” _

_ “That’s so sweet, how long have you two known each other?” _

_ “For almost five years. We met in middle school, I had just transferred to a new city and he was the first person who talked to me,”  _ you said, giving a sigh before continuing,  _ “The only person to ever talk to me, really.” _

The interviewer gave you a look of pure sympathy,  _ “I’m guessing that you weren’t very popular in school?” _

_ “Not at all, but I don’t think many of us here really were; I mean, why would we even try to be in Danganronpa if that were the case? Sure, the money is good and being a part of your favorite show is probably a dream come true for most, but everyone knows that after this the contestants just get relocated anyways. Probably far away from any friends they had before. But, if you don’t have many friends in the first place, there’s no reason to worry,” _ you explained, the nonchalant tone of your voice hiding the obvious hurt from how close you were to your own personal truth.

_ “You know, you’re a smart girl (y/n),” _ she mused,  _ “I have one last question for you, alright? It’s the one everyone wants to know, but do you think you’ll survive Danganronpa?” _

It took a moment for you to respond,  the question seeming to catch you off guard. Sure, it wasn’t an uncommon thing for someone to ask, but it was one you didn’t really think about at the time. Surprisingly, though, your answer on screen was far off from what you expected, your tone growing darker, chillingly so, when you spoke,  _ “Yes. I wouldn’t have auditioned for this if I didn’t think I could win.” _

With that, the interview wrapped up, ready to take on the next contestant. But before you could see the next person to appear, Kokichi paused the video once more, turning to you with a raised eyebrow, “Damn, no wonder people liked you so much. You took that shit from sweet to dark in like two seconds, (y/n). I’m impressed.”

“Thanks, it’s my secret power,” you joked, sarcasm laced in your tone, “I entice the people with my depression; I’m like a siren of sadness.”

He smiled, letting out a chuckle, “That sounds like some kind of emo band, ‘Siren of Sadness’. What’s your first hit single gonna be called? ‘The Killing Game in Within My Mind’?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, changing the subject before he could take it any further, “Anyways, back to what our  _ original _ purpose was for hanging out before you decided to take over my computer. Schedules; do you have yours?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it in my bag, buzzkill. I’ll grab it from the living room,” he said, getting up from his chair and disappearing out the door a moment later. You took the opportunity to pull yourself up as well, grabbing the sheet of paper off your nightstand before collapsing down onto your bed, your back hitting the plush surface with a soft thud. Gazing up at the ceiling, you closed your eyes as you waited for the sound of his footsteps returning, but they never came. It had already been a few minutes, just where was he?

You were about to get up and investigate when you felt a sudden pressure on either side of your head, pushing down on the mattress below you. Eyes shooting open, you were met with the face of Kokichi grinning down at your startled expression, seeming satisfied with your reaction. His hands were both resting on the bed, propping himself up as he hovered over you in what you presumed was an attempt to scare you, but the only thing you could focus on was the nature of the position. One of his legs was placed between yours, his body so close you could feel the heat radiating off of him. He had to have known just how intimate it felt, right?

His smirk grew even wider with the flushing of your cheeks, pushing himself off of you onto the space beside your form. A moment later his chuckle rang through the air, his voice following shortly after, “Wow, you get flustered really easily, (y/n).”

“Hey, you would be too if I did something like that to you!” you exclaimed, turning onto your side and hitting him on the shoulder playfully, “I know for a fact you’re not always as cocky as you pretend to be. If I were the one who was pinning you down, it would be a different story. Your whole face would be red and you know it.”

“We could test that theory,” he offered with a wink, but you brushed him aside in favor of taking the schedule he still held in his palm, unfolding it to compare with yours. 

You sat up, a few strands of your messy hair falling to frame your face as you checked your classes, speaking as you did so, “Don’t you remember, Kokichi? We’re not together anymore. I don’t think it would be a very good idea for either of us to be initiating something like that.”

“Come on, (y/n), you know I’m just messing around. We used to joke about stuff like this all the time, I don’t see why things have to change; it’ll be just like how we were before the game. Like nothing has changed at all,” he explained, following your actions and pulling himself up, resting his chin on your shoulder as he read the two sheets of paper, “So, what do we have together?”

You had to restrain yourself from telling him just  _ why _ his jokes bothered you now. Kokichi was right, it was how you two behaved before the games. It was always an exaggerated type of flirtation, usually used to mask your true feelings for each other, but now it was different. You knew how he really felt, that he returned your affections, and that knowledge left a tension that wasn’t there before. Now his jokes and actions made your mind go blank, reacting solely on impulse in the moment. And because of that, you knew that if he kept it up you would lose control completely, and just being friends would be thrown out the window. 

You tried your best to ignore the way your heart skipped a beat at his touch, focusing on the papers before you, “Um, we have precalculous together first hour; I think Shuichi is with us in there too. We got study hall third hour, and I heard from (s/n) that we keep the same one throughout the entirety of high school, not that it would matter much since we’re already seniors. Oh, and we have art together! This is great, we have it with Angie too.”

“Of course they put her in an art class, do they know most of us have no idea how to actually use our fake talents?” he asked, to which you gave a shrug.

Folding up your schedule once again, you handed Kokichi’s back to him with a sigh, “Probably not, considering how they put Kaede in the school band. I don’t really know what she’s going to do in there, considering all she remembers how to play is ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’, but I’m guessing her teacher will be very shocked when he hears that.”

“If it makes her feel any better, tell her about how I got placed into a special class for ‘troubled teens’,” he offered, making air quotations in the air as he said so.

You were taken aback by the statement, raising an eyebrow, “You  _ what _ !?”

“Yeah, didn’t you see it on my schedule? It’s called ‘Leadership and Wellness’, my mother looked it up on their website and apparently it’s not just some dumb health class like I thought, but some weird course for troublemakers like me, apparently,” he explained, giving a nonchalant shrug, “I could just switch out, but it sounds like an easy A.”

You let out a laugh, “Oh my god, that’s amazing, Kokichi. You were literally such a little shit in the game that the school is fucking monitoring you.”

“Hey, I’m not the only one who was a dick in the simulator!”

“Oh really? Name one other person.”

He thought for a moment, but you could tell he was struggling to come up with an answer. A few times his eyes lit up as if he had a response, but quickly the expression faded away as he thought more, eventually giving up with a dejected sigh, “Fine, you win. I don’t think anyone can top the whole ‘pretending to be the mastermind’ thing, but to be fair, nobody was smart enough to pull that off in the first place.”

“Sure, that’s  _ definitely _ why no one else tried it,” you teased, turning to him with a genuine grin, “In all honesty, though, I never believed you were the mastermind in the first place.”

“Why didn’t you?” he asked, the confusion in his voice evident as he spoke.

You shifted your gaze to the ground, kicking your feet as they dangled off the edge of your bed, “Because I knew you would never do something like that to me, Kichi. Even if your personality was changed in there, you’d never hurt me, or anyone, like that.”

He was silent for a moment, causing you to meet his eyes in fear that you had said something wrong. Instead though, he wore an expression of sincerity, nodding in agreement, “You know me so well. I’d never be able to hurt you, (y/n).”


	4. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so like it doesn't usually take me six months to update a fic, but shit happens man. I legit have no excuses but I'm finally back baby! I don't know for how long but ya know that's a risk I'm gonna take. 
> 
> Anyways, a few life updates before we get started. In the months I've been MIA ya girl got a huge scholarship to her dream art college!!! I'm so pumped and I'll be attending there in the fall for illustration. I've also been casted in the school play for my senior year so that's pretty cool, and I've made a few new friends who are super freaking awesome and supportive and I literally have no clue how I made it through four years of high school without them!!!
> 
> But enough of my rambling, let's let on with the show!!

It was early. _Way_ too early.

You felt like gravity was holding your body hostage, the air weighing on your chest as fatigue prevented you from moving out of your warm duvet. The night before you had stayed up for hours, eyes refusing to shut as your thoughts of anxiety and doubt entrapped you, leaving little to no hope of relief. But now here you were, laying on your back as the alarm from your phone relentlessly sounded in your ear, the happy-go-lucky tune taunting you with a false sense of positivity. It was almost as if it were rubbing the mere thirty minutes of sleep you got in your face, teasing you with the dreadful prospect of what you had to face as soon as you got up.

With an aggravated groan you rolled over onto your side, hastily pressing the home button to silence the obnoxious music before checking your messages. There were four piled up in your notifications, all from Kokichi, his familiar icon you had taken before the game popping up beside them. You both had been texting the entire night before, but you guessed you had fallen asleep smack dab in the middle of your conversation. Curious, you opened his responses.

_Kokichi: (y/n) are you there? You left me on read bitch_

_Kokichi: I’m guessing you fell asleep_

_Kokichi: Lame_

_Kokichi: Sweet dreams, and don’t worry about tomorrow. I’ll be right there with you, you know. I always will be_

Your face flushed at the last message, unable to contain the flutter in your chest at his words, any hint of sweetness coming from him being a rarity for anyone to see. Trying to suppress the way your cheeks heated up, you shot him back a quick response and crawled out of bed, the cold air that contrasted with the warmth of your blanket causing goosebumps to rise on your arms. With a shiver you grabbed your uniform from where it was folded on the top of your dresser, heading into the bathroom attached to your room in hopes of seeking refuge from the icy chill of the open air.

The shower was enough to warm your body, hot water hitting your skin in a way that made your eyelids heavy, sleep threatening to take over once again. Because of this, you slapped your cheeks in an attempt to snap yourself out of your fatigue-ridden daze, a drip of shampoo from your hair running down into your eye as soon as your hands made contact with your face. Cursing, you gritted your teeth from the stinging pain, dunking your entire face under the stream of water from the shower head in hopes of relieving the burning sensation. It felt like an omen of sorts, for just how miserable the rest of your day was going to turn out.

On the bright side, your uniform was actually pretty cute. It was simple, just a plain cream button up paired with a matching navy skirt and jacket, but it fit on your body in a way you didn’t expect, accentuating your curves nicely. The only thing you wished was different was the length of your skirt, a little too short for your liking, but it, surprisingly, didn’t bother you as much as you thought it would after throwing on your trusty pair of spandex shorts underneath. Compared to your old uniform, which was wrinkly and baggy as it hung over your form, this one almost seemed as though it was professionally tailored.

Shaking your head from the thought, you grabbed your red tie from where it rested on your dresser, wrapping the fabric around your neck as your fingers found the ends in some kind of muscle memory. Before you could begin tying it, however, you noticed an added tag on the back of the tie, branded with a red slashing symbol you had grown all too familiar with. Beside it was a few words printed onto the label, confirming your suspicions as you read them aloud, “Team Danganronpa… Fashion Department?”

Of course, they knew your measurements from the costumes they created for the show. It was only a given that they would tailor your school clothes as well, wanting everyone to look presentable in the public eye. After all, they still had a lot of selling out to do before they said goodbye to Danganronpa completely, using you and your friends as walking props to keep the hype alive. As much as you hated to admit it, however, the thought didn't bother you as much as you thought it would. After all, if all your clothes looked _this_ nice, it couldn’t be that bad. Right?

Dismissing the train of thought all together, you finished tying your tie and threw your hair into a neat ponytail soon after, observing your reflection in the full-size mirror hung on your door. It didn’t really look like you, from what you could remember before the game. You looked… prettier. Maybe it was just the way your uniform fit, or how your acne had cleared up over the few months you were gone. But even so, neither explanations seemed to satisfy you.

There was certain attributes, like the way your eyes appeared just slightly bigger, as well as the way your body curved at the perfect angles you previously didn’t have, that tipped you off that something wasn’t right. Before, you looked like the normal teenager anybody would expect, graceless and clumsy with dark circles and awkward baby fat, but now, it was clear you were much greater than the average adolescent. Everything about your appearance was pristine, perfect in a way you hadn’t consciously realized.

The shift was too much for you to comprehend, feeling a headache form at the mere thought of how you could change so drastically since you last went to school. Trying to clear your head, you grabbed your backpack from where it rested on your bedpost and took off, leaving your room in a rush and swinging the front door open with vigor. As soon as you bounded onto the sidewalk, however, you tumbled straight into a figure passing by, causing the person to stumble backwards as a slur of curses left their lips.

You looked up, watching as Miu’s eyebrows knitted together in anger, but as her gaze met yours her expression softened, “Hey! You just couldn’t help yourself as soon as you saw my beautiful body, huh? What were you tryin’ to do, cop a feel?”

“You wish. I didn’t know you walked this way too,” you started, your eyes subconsciously finding their way down to her uniform, the skirt of which was much shorter than yours, so much so that you were afraid of what would happen if the wind were to blow the wrong way. Cheeks flushing a light pink at the thought, you continued, “Why is your skirt… Are you wearing shorts under that?”

“Nope! It’s just me and my favorite pair of panties… crotch-less panties, that is. I know you’re just dying to take a peek, (y/n), maybe store it in that spank bank for later,” she explained, tapping your forehead with her pointer finger as she did so.

By now, you knew Miu wasn’t nearly as vulgar as she claimed to be. Her lies could pretty much rival Kokichi’s in terms of quantity, leaving you to disbelieve her statement, reaching down to grab the hem of her skirt while you responded, “Well, I mean if you insist—”

“No!” she yelled, making a futile attempt to stop your hands, but before she could, you spotted the clear form of shorts as you lifted the fabric.

Triumphantly, you let go and stared in amusement as her face blushed a bright red from being caught in the lie. Before you could speak to gloat of your victory, however, a voice from the house next door stopped you in your tracks, “Um… what the hell are you two doing? I know you just broke up with Kokichi, (y/n), but I don’t think sexually harassing Miu is going to bring you any comfort.”

You both shot your heads towards the source, relieved to find that the owner was only Kaede, the smile tugging at her lips making it clear she was only teasing. Bounding down the front steps of her porch, she joined the both of you on the sidewalk, “So, why exactly were you staring at her ass?”

“Well, she said she was wearing lingerie and I just couldn’t help myself. The urges were just too strong,” you joked, beginning to walk in the direction you knew your school was in with the other two following soon after on either side of you, “But I know for a fact you don’t own any crotchless panties, Miu.”

“What, do you check my underwear drawer each night to make sure?” she asked, to which Kaede let out a giggle from beside you.

You shook your head, but couldn’t help but feel amused at the thought as well. With a smirk tugging at your lips, you shot Miu a wink before responding, “No, if you owned any I would’ve seen you in them already.”

“You just _want_ to see me wearing a pair, pervert.”

Kaede laughed once again, her cheeks flushed a light pink from the obscenity behind your conversation, “It’s never been harder for me to figure out if two people were joking or not. Is this how you two usually talk to each other?”

“With varying levels of sexual tension?” you asked, and she nodded, “Yes, ever since the first day we hung out. From them on, it’s just been sexual jokes with increasing degrees of vulgarity. I think that’s why we’re so close. Friends that talk about sex together, stay together—” you held your hand out, “—am I right?”

“Hell fucking yeah!” Miu exclaimed, excitedly giving you a high five, the sheer force of which leaving your hand red and stinging.

Kaede smiled at your antics, her shoulders relaxing as she started to speak, “Can I just say, I’m so glad I ran into you guys. I don’t think I would’ve been able to make the walk alone.” She chewed on her bottom lip, attitude turning sheepish when she continued on, “It’s funny—I’ve never been this nervous to go to school in my life. I was never really nervous about _anything_ , to be honest.”

Your demeanor softened, the grin of mischief planted on your face morphing into an expression more sincere, “Hey, it’s going to be alright. We got your back, no matter what.” You offered your arm out to her, and she looped her elbow around yours, “All we have to do is stick together, and everything will be alright.”

Even though your voice conveyed that of confidence, you refused to let the two hear the feeling of doubt that ate away at your mind. Instead, you forced a genuine-looking smile to pull at your lips, one they were unable to tell was false. If anything, being in the game made you a good actress, though that feigned grin of yours was one that was present long before Danganronpa was a even thought in your mind.

It didn’t take long for the three of you to reach the Central High School, a pristine black gate surrounding the looming building of what you considered your personal Hell. You stopped in your tracks for a moment, Kaede and Miu following suit with matching faces of anxiety as their eyes found the structure. Beside it was a parking lot, the spaces slowly filling up as students filed their way inside, some lingering in front of the school with small groups of friends, chatting and joking as if it were a just another normal day. But of course, for them, it was.

Whether or not your peers were informed of your enrollment had been unclear, but as soon as you stepped foot on the grounds, Kaede and Miu sticking close by, it was easy to tell they had not. Expressions contorted into that of shock as you walked towards the main entrance, conversations halting and transforming to whispers when you passed by. Your names were called out too many times to count, the infliction on each syllable expressing that of disbelief, excitement, and awe. A few guys lurking to the side of the front path had let out wolf-whistles, dissolving into laughter with their friends shortly after, through you could still feel their eyes burning into the back of your skull as you passed. Before you could react, however, Miu spoke what the three of you were thinking, “Those pigs are all staring at our asses, aren’t they?”

“I don’t doubt it,” you replied, bitterness laced in your words as you fruitlessly tired to tug down your skirt, “Team Danganronpa didn’t really leave much to the imagination with how they tailored these.”

Kaede nodded in agreement, holding open the main door for the both of you, “I just want to sit down, maybe then less people will stare?” she guessed, pausing for a moment in thought, “Hey, you have first hour with me, right Miu?”

“Yeah, sadly,” the other mused, much to Kaede’s distaste, pulling out what you assumed was her schedule as she continued, “The bitch at the front office said my locker is supposed to be right by there when I went in to get my ID. I just gotta remember where she told me the damned physics lab was…”

Kaede perked up, “Oh, I remember! My parents had me come in to take a tour Saturday. Come on, follow me, my locker is over there too.”

The both of them started off in the other direction, casting a glance back at you with a quick wave, their faces forming matching expressions of sympathy, as if to apologize for having to leave. You waved back, trying to shake off the feeling of anxiety that crept up your spine. It’s going to be okay, you thought, trying to remind yourself of how you’ll see them later in the day.

Taking a breath, you turned your attention towards the identical rows of lockers lined up and down the corridor, searching for the familiar number printed at the bottom of your schedule: 525. By the looks of it, you were already close, starting down the hall as you watched the digits printed at the top of each locker increase. Finally, as you approached the end where the corridor branched off on either side, you spotted it. The final locker to your right, painted with a dark oxford blue hue and the number you had been looking for printed neatly on its placard.

With a sigh, you held out your schedule in front of you as you put in the combination, the door popping open on your first try. Your fingers moved naturally while you slipped off your backpack, hanging it on the hook in front of you before beginning to take out your books, piling them in a neat stack on your free arm. The extra supplies your mother had bought for you, including spare notebooks and extra pencils, you placed on the shelf near the top for safekeeping, leaving your bag completely empty after you finished.

A content grin tugged at your lips before you closed the door, schedule still in hand as you set off to find your first hour. Before you could take more than one step, however, a familiar voice stopped you in your tracks, calling out your name from not too far behind. Turning on your heel, you were met with the apprehensive face of Shuichi, his hand hovering over the lock of a locker two away from yours, using the other to flash you a wave, looking almost as if he were trying to hide his fear.

You started towards him, relief flooding your brain as you leaned against the wall beside him, “Hey! I’m so glad you’re here, we have first hour together, right?”

“Yeah, pre calculus,” he said with a nod, retrieving his stuff just as quickly as you had, balancing all the supplies on his hip, “Kokichi has it with us, but I haven’t seen him yet this morning. Have you?”

You quirked an eyebrow, “No? He was texting me last night, but I didn’t hear anything from him today. Why?”

“I don’t know, I guess I just thought you two would walk together,” he shrugged, shutting the locker door before turning to face you completely, mimicking your actions and leaning his shoulder against the wall.

You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could you spotted a familiar flash of violet round the corner into your hall, Kokichi creeping up close behind Shuichi while he met your eyes with an expression filled with deviance. It was a wonder how he got so close without Shuichi noticing, most likely due to his small stature, but his stealth didn’t last for long, getting on his toes to reach closer to the others ear, speaking just above a whisper, “Surprise.”

Shuichi flinched towards you, a startled gasp leaving his lips as he turned to the source of his distress, Kokichi letting out a chuckle at his reaction, “Wow, you really are _such_ a wimp! I thought you would’ve been happy to see me, after all, you were just talking about me,” he taunted, “But if you’re really that curious about our personal lives, (y/n) and I live on opposite sides of the school, so it would just be silly if we tried to walk together, dummy.”

“Yeah, I ended up running into Miu and Kaede on the way here though, so it wasn’t all too bad,” you explained, kicking off the wall, “So now that we got everybody, how about we head to class? According to the map, it should be upstairs.”

“Lead the way,” Shuichi agreed, Kokichi nodding his head as well.

You flashed the two a smile, starting down the hall to find the staircase that lead to your destination. It wasn’t too difficult to locate, thankfully, Shuichi having to pull you in the opposite direction after you turned down the wrong side of the corridor. Despite the mix-up, you found the stairwell in a minutes time, turning to Kokichi as soon as you reached the bottom.

“Hey, I bet you ten bucks I can beat you to the top,” you challenged, reminiscent of all the times you had before the game. Looking back on it, the two of you had a bet for almost every mundane task, but that being said, you both also owed one another a lot of money for each lost wager.

His eyes lit up with recognition, trying to hide his excitement as he thought on it for a moment, his gaze flickering over to the staircase before starting up the steps. You had no time to react as his voice rang out shakily above you, “Deal!”

Narrowing your eyes, you chased after him, abandoning Shuichi at the bottom as you desperately tried to catch up with Kokichi. It was no use though, as you felt yourself losing breath as you reached the top of the first set, using your last bit of energy to yell at him for being a cheater. Slowing to a walk, you expected to hear anything back, be it a taunt about how he was playing fair (“you never said we couldn’t start early!”) or gloating about his win. But there was… nothing. It seemed as though your heart stopped; there was no way he didn’t hear you, and there was no way he’d miss an opportunity to tease you like that.

Just as Shuichi caught up with you at the landing, you took off again, feeling your energy return as adrenaline filled your veins. Irrational thoughts filled your head. What if he was hurt? What if _someone_ hurt him?

You felt your grip tighten on the railing beside you, legs slowing down once the thought entered your mind. For a moment, you were back in the simulation. Even though everything was different, the walls surrounding the stairwell melted into those they had designed in Danganronpa, the smell of the air changing to the stagnant, metallic scent you knew all-too-well. It was fake, you knew it was just your mind playing tricks on you, unable to forget what happened just a month ago, but everything felt so real, if only for a moment.

A hand gently clasping your shoulder pulled you partially out of your daze, your head whipping to the side to meet Shuichi’s eyes, his expression showing that of concern, “Are you alright?”

Almost in an instant, it was like your mind had returned to your body, the fog that covered your thoughts clearing away, “What? No, no, I’m okay Shuichi. I’m sorry, I don’t know what just happened.”

“Are you sure? You look really pale—”

“What are you guys doing!? It’s no fun winning when you don’t even try at all,” Kokichi’s voice resonated from the top of the stairwell, his figure coming into view a moment later as he bounded down the steps.

You put on the best smile you could, hoping he didn’t notice as you ran to meet him near the top, feigning your best teasing tone, “What? Did you get all worried when you didn’t hear me running behind you? Was little Kokichi scared?”

He parted his lips slightly, as if he were about to respond, but they closed again while his eyes studied your features. By the way his brows knitted together, you could tell he saw right through your facade, but his eyes flashed towards Shuichi in a way that signified you would talk later, alone, and the grin returned to his features seamlessly, “Of course not, silly. Why would I be worried about an idiot like you? I just became ten bucks richer, afterall.”

“Come on guys, please save the flirting for when we’re not almost late for class,” Shuichi said, walking past the two of you onto the hallway above.

You could feel your cheeks heat up, running up the last few steps to catch up with him, “We were _not_ flirting, that’s just how our friendship works, Shuichi!”

Kokichi followed at your heels, and you could feel his arm snake around your waist as he spoke, “Of course, and that wild kinky sex we had last night was part of our ‘totally platonic friendship’ too! Oh, by the way, I’ll bring the whips and chains tonight, I know yours might’ve gotten a little _dirty_.”

“Oh, knock it off! You know, it someone hears you and thinks you’re serious, it’s gonna be all your fault when rumors start flying around,” you groaned, pulling away from Kokichi’s grasp and lightly hitting him on the shoulder.  

He just shook his head in response, “How naive of you to think there hasn’t already been rumors circulating since we stepped foot in this school, my dear (y/n).” He motioned to the side, where a student was leaning against the lockers holding his phone up in front of his face, “Not to mention, pictures.”

“People have been taking pictures!? Don’t they know that’s a complete invasion of privacy?” you asked, watching with a glare as the boy you passed quickly shoved the device back into his pocket, “You can't take my pictures without my consent, you ass!”

Kokichi let out a snicker, but you didn’t care to hear the baffled student’s response, turning your attention back to the hall as you continued walking. Before you could get too far, however, Shuichi grabbed your shoulder once again. You stumbled to a stop and shot him a quizzical look, though he answered your question before you could begin to ask it, “We’re here. This is our first hour.”

The nerves crept up your spine once again as you peered through the open door with hesitation; it was your first class on your first day back at the very place that drove you to compete in Danganronpa in the first place. Of course, it wasn’t the same building or the same people, but in the end, wasn’t every high school alike? There was always going to be annoying cliques, patronizing teachers, and people like _him_ who would only try to hurt you again.

Tension formed around your shoulders, travelling down your arms to your clenched fist, which you realized you had balled up since you got off the stairs. The sting of your nails against your palm was almost numbed in your mind by now, the action becoming your main response to the anxiety that frequently built up in your chest. Trying to push the feeling down, you turned to Kokichi, giving him a nod. He seemed to understand, leading the way into the class with you and Shuichi following close behind.

He stopped at the front of room, ignoring the teacher who had just gotten up to introduce you, and cleared his throat, getting the attention of the students socializing at their seats, “Okie dokie, let’s just get this over with, shall we? Our names are Kokichi, (y/n), and Shuichi,” he said, gesturing to each of you respectively. “Yes, we are from the last season of Danganronpa, and no, we will not take a picture with you. Yes, it hurts to die, and no, (y/n) and I are not a couple. Neither are Shuichi and (y/n), and neither are Shuichi and I. Basically, nobody is dating anybody except Kaito and Maki and I swear if I see one more piece of fanart I will scream. Any questions?”

The room remained silent, to which Kokichi gave a grin, finding a few open desks near the back and leading you to them. You would say he handled public speaking much better than you did, but as you sat down you noticed the way his hands shook in his lap. Even so, he met your eyes, letting out a genuine laugh.

You couldn’t help but do the same, speaking between giggles, “You’re really… handling this whole fame thing well, Kichi.”

“You know I’ve always been a charmer, not everyone could make that good of a first impression. It just comes naturally, I guess,” he explained, shooting you a wink as he leaned back in his seat, his hands hesitating for a moment before moving up to rest behind his head.

“Of course, how could I forget about how ‘charming’ you are. I’m surprised the girls and boys aren’t just falling at your feet.”

“Why would they be when I already have you under my spell?”

You gave a scoff, drawing your eyes towards the posters on the wall as you felt your cheeks heat up, “You wish.”

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day dragged on like it never had before. You’ve dealt with the typical long morning, when the clock seemed to slow down just to get on your nerves and the lectures were so dull they lulled you to sleep, but never were you prepared for what that day had in store. Despite Kokichi’s less-than-pleasant introduction, you were constantly stopped in the halls by a variety of students, some asking for a picture or an autograph while others offered misleading suggestions of friendship. And even though you were flattered, you couldn’t help but back away. No one at Central High knew the real you, and you doubted they would care to know.

It was a relief when the final bell of the day rang, dismissing you to your locker. As you got there, however, you noticed how a certain purple-haired boy was leaning up against the metal door, a smirk planted across his features. Feeling a smile tug at the corners of your lips, you sped up your pace, nudging him out of the way once you made it to your locker and putting in the combination, “Do I have a little stalker?”

“You know it baby, no restraining order can hold me back,” he joked, adjusting his position so he was resting on the locker beside you, “Are we still on for today?”

You grabbed your chemistry book, shoving it into your backpack and closing the door as you spoke, “Of course, you think I would pass up the opportunity to snoop through your things while you’re in the bathroom?”

“No, you don’t, and that’s why I won’t ever be using the bathroom again while you’re over. Unless you _want_ to see the wild porn stash I keep under my bed—wait, did I just say that out loud? Oh dear.”

You rolled your eyes and began walking towards the exit, Kokichi falling into step right beside you. The action was almost… normal; like a breath of fresh air after months of being trapped underwater. In that moment, you didn’t even notice how those around you stopped to look for a moment too long, a few pulling out their phones to take pictures. You had become blind to the craziness in that one moment of normalcy, a moment you wanted to live in forever. The only thing that was off, you thought, was the painful absence in the space beside you. For a second an image of two girls flashed in your mind, an image that you were quick to block out.

As you made it outside, you allowed Kokichi to lead the way back to his house, pausing when he started towards the parking lot instead. You quirked an eyebrow, “Where are you going dude, I thought you lived on the other side of town?”

“Oh I do,” he said, turning back towards you for a moment to grab your wrist, pulling you after him, “But, I didn’t walk to school today.”

“Please tell me your mother drove you, because I really don’t want to imagine you operating a giant metal vehicle of destruction,” you plead, the idea of Kokichi operating a car sending a chill down your spine. He could barely work a Barbie Jeep by himself without crashing, let alone one of the leading causes of death per year.

He picked up his pace, a skip in his step as you entered the parking lot, “Oh no, I don’t need my mama to drive me anymore! Are you ready to see my hot new ride, (y/n)?”

“No, I’m really not!” you yelled, squeezing your eyes shut in fear.

“Well too bad, because you have no choice! Trust me, you’re going to be so impressed your panties will come off right here right now," he said, coming to a stop, “Open your eyes and behold the ride of your dreams.”

“You know how sexual that sounds, right?” you asked, but did as he said, cautiously opening your eyes to see the sight in front of you. At first there was nothing, what looked like an empty space where a car should’ve been, but as you casted your gaze downwards, you saw it. A moped. A bright-fucking-purple moped with white flame decals carefully placed along the sides, something you knew he did himself. You were so angry, but all you could do was laugh at the sight. Of course, of all the vehicles he could get, he chose a moped.

He let out a chuckle at your reaction, walking up to the bike and tossing a helmet at you, “I got my license and everything, just so I could embarrass you on this baby. Now come on, Kaiji has been dying to see you.”

“Shit right, does your brother still have a major crush on me?” you asked, watching him climb onto the moped as you buckled your helmet, getting on behind him.

He grabbed your hands, directing them around his waist and starting the engine, turning to you with a sly expression, “Hold on tight, I’m a speed demon on this thing. Oh, and to answer your question, he watched every single episode of our season of Danganronpa, so take a guess on whether or not he still likes you.”

“A ten-year-old watched _that_!? Why would your parents allow him to watch us murder each other!?”

“You know how laid back they are. I was watching that shit at ten years old. Of course, I wasn’t related to the contestants, but he’s old enough to know you didn’t actually die… I hope.”

With that, he flipped up the kick-stand, pressing down on the lever above the handle and taking off down the parking lot. Tightening your grip around his waist, you let out a giggle at the stares you were receiving from your peers, feeling your ears turn red from embarrassment. But the sensation of being so close to him was enough for the shame to fade away, resting your head on his back and enjoying the cool air hitting your face as he made it onto the streets. It almost felt like something out of a movie, some dumb romantic comedy set in the early 2000’s when mopeds were still considered cool, if they ever were considered cool in the first place. It was almost too good to be true.

But just as the ride began, it ended, much to your disappointment. He pulled off the main street, turning into a driveway a few houses down from the end of the block. It looked relatively similar to yours, the structure grand and uniform like almost every home on the street. The only thing that marked it as different was the flora planted all along the sides, basking in the summer heat. His mother was always very invested when it came to gardening, you’d be surprised if there wasn’t a larger one out back.

A few things laid out of place on the front lawn, however, the seven yard flamingos stuck around sporadically being one of them. Without even having to be told, you knew that was Kokichi’s doing. It was like that at his old house, and every time his father would remove one, he’d always come back with several more in its place. His parents knew by then not to touch them, in fear of how many would show up next, but that never stopped him from slowly adding more as time went on.

“You admiring my handy work?” Kokichi asked, noticing how your gaze flitted around the lawn decorations as he climbed off the moped.

You nodded, following suit as you did so, “Do you still have all the others that were at your old place?”

“No, they threw them all away, so I had to start a whole new collection,” he explained, watching as you struggled to take off your helmet, “Here, it’s a little tricky, let me help. You gotta—yeah, there you go.”

Unclipping the strap, you handed it to him, trying fruitlessly to smooth out your hair as he placed it back on the handle of the bike. No doubt, the ponytail you had neatly combed your (h/c) locks into earlier that morning was ruined, and you decided it would be easier just to let it down instead. So, with a painful tug you pulled the elastic out, brushing through your hair with your fingers as you rolled the hair tie around your wrist for safekeeping.

“Put your hair back up, it looks shitty like that,” Kokichi mused from beside you, bringing his fingers up to ruffle your hair before starting towards the front porch, “Of course, that’s just a lie!”

You followed behind him with a roll of your eyes, taking off your shoes as you entered the house. For the short time that they lived there, it still smelt the same as you remembered. It was indescribable, the closest guess being a mix of whatever flowers his mother had bought that day, several different (conflicting) scented candles, and _him_. Before you had time to take it all in, however, you were nearly knocked over by a violet blur. The sensation of a small pair of arms wrapped in a death grip around your waist gave it away that the culprit was none other than Kaiji, only proven further when you look down to see a familiar mess of short purple hair.

“Hey kiddo, I missed you too,” you said, reaching down to pat him on the back, “You’ve definitely gotten… stronger since the last time I saw you… it’s getting kinda hard for me to breathe there Kai…”

Thankfully, Kokichi pried the ten-year-old off you, allowing the air to return to your lungs as you took a deep breath. It wasn’t uncommon for him to cling to you whenever you were around, that day being no exception. Luckily, he didn’t trap you in another bear hug after Kokichi lightly smacked him on the back of the head, hissing under his breath, “Knock it off.”

“It’s not fair. How come you get to be all gross and make out with her for months but I can’t even hug her!?” Kaiji asked, causing a blush to rise to both of your cheeks.

Despite the embarrassment, Kokichi was quick to shoot back a response, “Why don’t you ask her that, shortstack?”

“Wow, thanks for completely throwing me under the bus there,” you groaned, cursing at the position he left you in, “Look, I had fake memories, I had no idea what I was doing or who I was kissing.” You turned to Kokichi, “Why am I even explaining myself to a ten-year-old!?”

“Fine, you’re off the hook… for now,” Kaiji threatened, ignoring your last comment. He stepped closer to you, tugging down on your jacket until your ear with level with his lips, lowering his voice to a whisper, “But watch your back, my brother isn’t the only one who’s good at pranks.”

“Hey, what did I say!? Stop threatening people, you little shit. Your pranks are lame anyways, you get them all off of Buzzfeed,” Kokichi said, grabbing your wrist once again to start leading you upstairs. You couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at the whole scene, they were a lot more alike than either would care to admit.

His room was almost exactly the same as it had been before, besides the major size difference. If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve expected it to be chaotic, and to a certain extent, it was. But certainly not in the way one would expect. Everything was neat and orderly, each possession of his put back in its rightful place with a careful hand. The chaos, however, came in with the appearance of his walls, the cream color his parents had painted it covered by a variety of familiar posters and drawings supported with clear pieces of Scotch Tape.

“My parents kept them,” he explained, following your gaze, “A few got ripped, but for the most part, all of them were safe. They let me put them back up myself when I got here.”

“Dude, some of these are from, like, middle school. How did they even survive?” you asked, taking a step closer to look at all of them. Most of the paper hung up was slightly yellowed from age, covered in smudges of graphite and what you could recognize as your own handwriting. Before the game, mostly during the earlier stages of your friendship, you’d often draw stupid pictures or write dumb notes to him during class, notes which he would hang up to make his room “less boring”. You never quite realized how endearing the act really was.

One in particular caught your eye, one of the sparse few that looked almost brand new. The pencil lines were still dark, outlining the form of a four people, two of which were obviously you and him. The others, however, sent a chill down your spine. By your characters hip was a figure wearing long pigtails, a devious smile tugging at her lips, while the one beside Kokichi was calm, almost shy, with a thin braid decorating her long dark hair.

You blinked hard, pushing the familiarity of them to the back of your mind. They were just fictional characters, people you created to combat your loneliness and nothing more. Pulling your attention away from the walls, you tugged off your uniform jacket and plopped down onto his bed, laying down to stare at the ceiling. A moment later you felt a pressure beside you, looking over to see Kokichi had done the same thing, his violet locks sprawled out on the fabric as he hovered his phone over his face, the colors of Instagram lighting up the screen.

He tilted the device over to you, your expression changing to that of a grin as you saw the meme displayed on it. At your reaction, he turned the phone back to himself, scrolling further down his explore page to find something else. Even so, your expression stayed. This felt normal.

Things were finally going back to normal.

 

_Tap._

_You tried to ignore it, the sensation of balled-up pieces of paper thumping against the back of your head. The teacher somehow never noticed, despite the doubt that_ she _was being any sort of subtle. Ever since you arrived at your new school, she refused to leave you alone. The constant invitations to join her at lunch was something you could stand, no matter how many times you rejected it, but throwing shit at you was taking it a step too far._

_Tap._

_You reached behind your head, grasping the crumpled sheet of paper which had gotten stuck in your hair. A snicker sounded from behind you, but you paid no mind to it as you threw the misshapen ball on the floor._

_“Oh come on, now you’re just being mean.” You could hear her whisper, quiet enough so that the teacher wouldn’t hear, but considering how oblivious he was before, you didn’t believe he’d notice even if she was shouting._

_Tap._

_Thankfully, the paper missed you this time, instead landing on the corner of your desk. You had to admit, it took some skill to be able to make a shot like that—not that you’d ever say it out loud. With a low groan you twisted in your spot, watching as her eyes lit up from the attention, but yours narrowed into a glare, “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to be your friend? I know I’m new, but I don’t need your pity.”_

_“Wait… you think I’m doing this out of pity? No, (y/n), that’s not why I keep bothering you. I genuinely want to be your friend,” she explained, her voice quiet._

_Your exchange seemed to have gotten the attention of a few students around you, but you paid no mind as you continued, “Yeah, totally. It’s not because I’m alone or because I’m an Ultimate or anything. No, nobody would ever think to exploit that.”_

_“(y/n)—”_

_“I’m fine being alone, okay? I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember, and I would like to stay that way. I don’t need you trying to butt into my personal life or treating me like some abused puppy you can fix up and make all pretty. I want to be by myself, so please, Hana, stop,” you said, your words getting more furious as you went on._

_A look of hurt flashed across her features, her shoulders dropping in an act of defeat. Seeing her like that, the usual smile that tugged at her lips gone, made you feel like you had been shot through the chest. You made her sad, the one person you thought could never be sad. Even though it was true that you would rather be alone, you wished you could take back every word you said in an instant._

_She pulled out another piece of paper from under her desk, writing on it as she spoke, “That pin on your bag, it’s from a podcast, right? I’ve been watching it for years, but no one else here knows about it,” she said, handing the sheet to you, “I’m having one of my friends spend the night tomorrow at six; she’s really quiet and sweet, so I think you’d like her. If you want to come, go ahead, I think it would be fun. That’s my address, if you need it.”_

_You opened your mouth to respond, but just as you did, the bell rang dismissing class for the day. Without another word, Hana gathered up her things, leaving you in complete shock. A sleepover… you had never been invited to one before. Slouching back in your seat, so many thoughts ran through your mind, though you fixated on one in particular: what were you even supposed to bring?_


	5. Familiar

_Shifting uncomfortably, you adjusted the large backpack that hung off your shoulders heavily. The whole thing was stupid, probably just some trick to humiliate you beyond repair. Why would anyone want you to spend the night at their house in the first place? It wasn’t like you were pleasant to be around, you were nothing but cruel to Hana, so why invite you over for a whole day? She’d be stupid if it wasn’t just some plan for revenge, but a small part of you was hoping it wasn’t, not that you’d ever say so out loud._

_Casting a glance behind you, you watched as your mother pulled out of the driveway, leaving you standing on the foreign front porch. She originally wasn’t going to let you go, emphasizing that your need to perfect your talent was far more important than any dumb sleepover, though your father  was able to convince her otherwise. But even so, as she drove off, you could still feel the sting of her stern glare cutting into you. If it all was just a prank, there was no way she would come to pick you up._

_Raising your fist, you felt yourself hesitate. Never in your life did a door seem so… terrifying. It looked like every other, painted a dark brown with a small window at the top, though the finish was weathered, a few cracks and chips in the wood in various places. It was just a door, you told yourself. Nothing else._

_Swallowing your fear, you clenched your eyes and knocked, feeling the sting the hard surface left on your knuckles. Almost instantly, the door swung open, Hana’s smiling face greeting you with excitement. The first thing that caught your eye, however, was a deep violet bruise forming on the side of her jaw, almost out of sight, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by it, her eyes lighting up as she spoke, “(y/n), you’re actually here! Like, you’re here on my porch right now! This is amazing!”_

_“Yeah, that’s usually where people stand when they’re waiting to be let in,” you joked, hoping she didn’t take the tease as you being hostile. Why you cared, you couldn’t explain; why you were even there in the first place was a mystery to yourself. You weren’t lying when you said you liked being alone, so why was this an exception?_

_Thankfully, Hana just grinned ever wider, stepping back so you could come inside, “Then what are you waiting out there for? Come in! Kiyo and I’ve just been watching some Netflix, and I ordered a pizza so that should be getting here soon.”_

_You did as she said, stepping inside warily and taking off your shoes. Her living room, however, was nothing like you pictured. There was some traces of normal decor, but everything was covered in colorful blankets and pillows. The ottoman, which you presumed was meant to be stationed in front of the couch, was pushed to the side, a mess of comforters in its place. In the midst of it all was a girl around the same age as the two of you, a dark braid woven into her long locks of hair. At the sight of you, she gave a shy wave, but said nothing more._

_You raised an eyebrow, turning your attention back to Hana, who was practically shaking from excitement, “What is all this?”_

_“Dude, what do you think it is? It’s a blanket fort!” she exclaimed, watching as the look of confusion remained on your features, “Oh come on, you’ve never built a blanket fort before!?”_

_You shook your head, which she apparently deemed as an unacceptable answer. After giving you a moment to set down your stuff, she practically tackled you onto the pillowed floor of the “fort”, a manic giggle escaping her lips as she did so. Kiyo couldn’t help but succumb to a moment of laughter as well, her voice light and quiet, matching her presumably shy demeanor. The whole scene was foreign to you. You knew from movies that girls often had pillow fights or talked about boys during nights like this, but never would you think you’d experience something similar. It felt… nice._

_After their laughter died down Hana sat up, pulling you into a sitting position beside her. Your hair was disheveled, your pajamas twisted at odd angles, but the grin you wore was hard to miss. Unlike how you thought she would react, in a boisterous and over-the-top manner, she simply returned it, slinging her arm around your shoulder, “Welcome to the family, (y/n). Beware, though, once you’re in, there’s no escape.”_

 

The music haunted you, its false sense of joy playing like a taunt to your ears, almost _too_ happy given the situation. It was almost enough to drive you insane, had it not been for the one solace laying in front of you: a sheet of lined paper littered with a variety of different equations and problems. Everyone else in your group had one too, writing furiously to get the answer to the question displayed on the board. Out of everyone, however, your hand was the first to shoot up, reaching to the computer shared between the three of you to click on one of the colored rectangles lighting up the screen.

Leaning back in your desk, you let out a breath of relief, watching as Shuichi and Kokichi put down their pencils, presumably getting the same answer as you did. Unlike you expected, however, after a minute passed the screen lit up a bright red, causing you to shoot forward in confusion, “What!? I did everything right!”

“You missed the negative sign, (y/n). Be a little more careful next time,” the teacher chided, a few students laughing at your reaction.

Slouching back with a feigned pout, you tilted your head back to catch a glance at the leader board before the next question appeared, “We’re still in first place though, ‘The Memelords’ are like a thousand points ahead. Nice name choice, by the way, Kokichi.”

“You know I only choose the best, unlike you with answers,” he teased, causing you to flip him off, though he just brushed the action aside, “Let me handle the next one, I don’t miss silly things like negative signs.”

“Go right ahead, that just means I have to do less math. Sucker,” you said with a smirk, sticking out your tongue as the teacher moved on to the next question. Before anyone had time to read it, however, the bell rang to dismiss first hour. With a groan you started to pack up your things, “This is not fair, you knew the bell was about to ring, didn’t you?”

Swiping up the laptop, Kokichi logged out and placed it back in the cart where the teacher kept them, taunting you as he did so, “Well, duh. I know how to read a clock, unlike _some_ idiots.”

“Hey, look who’s talking! You’re the idiot who was still wearing velcro shoes in middle school. Middle school,” you retorted, trying to get a rise out of him. Instead of how you wanted him to react, however, his expression remained in an arrogant smirk, prompting you to continue, “You were twelve and didn’t even know how to tie your own shoelaces, I had to teach you!”

He returned to your desks, grabbing his binder before taking a step closer to you, “Oh yeah? And remind me again who was still afraid of the dark until last year? That’s right, it was you! I distinctly remember that old night light you still have plugged in by your bed since you were a kid… what did you call it? Mister—”

“Stop!” you exclaimed, feeling your cheeks heat up with embarrassment, “Okay, you won this round, but you better watch out, ‘cause I have so much dirt on you, I’ll make sure you never want to show your face in public again.”

“Oh yeah? Try me.”

“And they said they weren’t dating, like anyone believes that. I mean, come on, you could cut that sexual tension with a knife,” you heard someone say, turning your attention to the source to watch as a group of girls walked past you, “Like, get a room and just fuck already. It’s obvious they already did on the show.”

The lot broke into giggles, making their way out of the room and down the hall, leaving you at a loss for words. Kokichi reacted in a similar manner, only brought out of his brief embarrassed daze by Shuichi who nudged him on the shoulder, prompting him to start heading for their shared second hour before they were late. Trying to push what the girls said out of your mind, you followed them out of the classroom as well, nearly running into Rantaro as you did so.

You stumbled back, and he placed his free hand on your shoulder to steady you, “Woah there, coming in hot. I’m guessing you were just dying to get out of pre-calc?”

“Yeah, something like that,” you said, starting to walk with him towards your psychology class, “A few girls made some comment about Kokichi and I and it got me a little messed up, that’s all. It’s alright though, our team still won the game of Kahoot and that’s all that matters.”

He held out his hand for a high-five—to which you enthusiastically obliged—before asking, “What did they say about you?”

“Well…” you started, pulling your books closer to your chest as you thought of what to say. It really wasn’t a comment that would’ve affected most, but the words still resonated in your mind relentlessly. Giving a sigh, you continued, “Do you think we have a lot of sexual tension?”

He let out a chuckle, cutting it short as you shot a glare at him, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe you actually asked that. It’s just, you _don’t_ notice how much sexual tension you guys have between you!?”

“No, because we don’t have any! We’re just friends!”

“Yeah, and I have a girlfriend who isn’t my right hand. Look, it’s not any of my business to prod at your dating life, but Kaito and Maki don’t even have that much tension, and they’re in an actual relationship.”

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t think of any response to shoot back. His words were true, whether you liked to admit it or not, but that fact alone was enough to make you doubt your friendship. Had it always been that way, with flirtatious gestures and playful jokes at the expense of your attraction to one another? Trying to think back, you pulled a blank, your memories too muddled together for you to even remember the small details about your dynamic before the game even took place. Were you acting like you always had, or the only way you could recall how?

As you and Rantaro turned to enter your second hour, you lifted your eyes from where they had been trained on the floor, catching a glimpse of a face almost too familiar amidst the rush of students. He was the same age as you, maybe a year or so older, with smooth strawberry blond hair swept over one eye. The aura he gave off was calm, but strong, and one you would never be able to forget. One you knew too well. Stopping in your tracks, you trailed his movement with your gaze, only for the person to be gone a second later. It was like he had vanished in thin air, but his appearance was still burned into your head. Denial flooded your mind: it was impossible for him to be there, it had to have been someone else. But in the very last moment you saw him, before he disappeared, your eyes met.

And he flashed you a wink.

You stood, frozen, in the doorway of your second hour unable to make a sound. It was if that person had stolen the breath from your lungs, leaving you like a fish out of water, your lips parted in a confusion that left your thoughts racing. Just as quickly as you had froze, however, Rantaro was there to pull you out of your daze, tapping your arm with concern, “(y/n), are you okay? You’re not still upset over the whole ‘sexual tension’ thing, are you?”

“What?” you asked, before remembering the topic that had been bothering you just a minute prior, shaking your head as you responded, “Oh, no. Sorry, I just thought I saw someone familiar, that’s all.”

He nodded, careful not to pry as you followed him into the psychology classroom, situating yourself in your seat between Miu and Ryoma. Placing your books on your desk, you felt a buzzing in your jacket pocket, pulling out your phone to see a new text from the group chat. With a faint smile, you opened it.

 

_Kokichi: So according to these girls in pre-calc (y/n) and I have a fuck ton of sexual tension_

_Ryoma: And this is supposed to be news to us?_

_Kokichi: I mean, yeah_

_Kokichi: We obviously have the most platonic relationship two people could have_

_Miu: Lol you’re such a fucking liar_

_Maki: Or maybe he’s lying to himself._

_(y/n): Come on guys, you know we’re just friends_

_Angie: Oh look, we have two liars in this group chat! ^w^_

_Rantaro: Aw guys, just leave them alone. You’re making (y/n)’s face all red_

_Miu: But that’s the fun part_

_Miu: You have to admit these fuckers have sexual tension_

_Tenko: Ew Tenko thinks this hetero shit is so gross can we please talk about something else_

_Kokichi: Like what?_

_Kokichi: Himiko?_

_Himiko: What about me?_

_Tenko: NOTHING_

_Kiibo: Can you guys please refrain from texting during class? I’m trying to pay attention to this lesson but my phone won’t stop buzzing._

_Miu: Party pooper_

_Kokichi: Omg guys Shuichi’s ringer was on and he got his phone taken away this is gold_

_Kaede: That’s not funny!_

_Kokichi: It’s still going off in the teachers hand guys let’s blow up the chat_

_Kirumi: No, that is rude and irresponsible._

_Kokichi: Okay_

_Kokichi: I_

_Kokichi: Will_

_Kokichi: Just_

_Kokichi: Do_

_Kokichi: It_

_Kokichi: Myself_

_Miu: Knock it off brat_

_Kokichi: N_

_Kokichi: E_

_Kokichi: V_

_Kokichi: E_

_Gonta: Gonta saw Tenko smash her head on desk, what’s going on?_

_Kokichi: R_

_Kokichi: Fucking hell Gonta you ruined it_

 

Shaking your head, you turned off your phone once and for all before tuning into your lesson, resting your hand on your cheek and the smile on your lips grew wider. At least they were always able to make you laugh.

 

* * *

 

It was a nice day, the breeze blowing at just the right temperature as the sun peaked out from the clouds overhead. Leaves were just beginning to fall from the trees, littering the streets and sidewalk with a wave of soft amber and bright ochre, crunching under your feet with each step you took towards your home. A cool wind hit your back, causing a shiver to run down your spine as you pulled your jacket closer to your body; the seasons were changing much faster than you had expected.

You could feel your shoulders begin to relax as you walked up the front steps, the haze you were trapped in for most of the day beginning to clear away at the prospect of getting some rest. As you opened the door you made a beeline for your room, throwing your backpack on the floor and plopping down onto your bed with a heavy thud, not even bothering to take off your uniform before you crawled under the blankets. Even though you were adjusting to the normal routine of being outside the game, a feeling of anxiety still found its way into your mind whenever you let your guard down. In a way, you still felt just as trapped as you did inside the academy, and what you saw after first hour didn’t help.

His features were still clear in your memory, too familiar for you to forget. The way his mouth was pressed in a straight line, the bored look that was always present on his face still there when you saw him just hours before. The energy he gave off was calm, as he had always always been quiet one, but you knew deep down he had a hidden mischievous side that he rarely let out. That wink he gave you, sly and sneaky, was one you had seen so many times before. Almost like a shared joke between the two of you, his wink was always something only you would catch. As well as the way the corners of his lips turned up, only slightly, when someone made a dumb pun most would groan at. That was _him._

Staring up at the ceiling, you held you hand out above you, examining your skin and veins in the warm light. It didn’t feel real, the way the cool air from the fan overhead brushed against your fingers ever-so-slightly. You felt disconnected from your body, like you were merely just a spectator observing your life unfold before you. Maybe you just didn’t want it to be real. You pinched yourself and sensed the pain that shot through your arm, a stinging that only lasted a second before dissipating. It wasn’t a dream, not by a long shot, but you still felt like you were floating, your thoughts giving in to the haze that threatened to engulf them.

It was only when his face popped up in your mind again did you move, rolling onto your side to stare at the phone which laid beside you. Reaching out, you grabbed the device, turning it on to reveal the lock screen, a cute picture of you and Kokichi from a few days prior. As if something had come over you, you were unlocking the phone in an instant, typing in the number you knew by heart before pressing call.

The phone rang once, then twice, and you could feel yourself start to grow wary. Why did you even call? What were you going to say to him in the first place? Before you had any more time to ponder, however, he picked up, his sweet voice distorted over the speaker as he began, “(y/n)! I’m guessing you just couldn’t get enough of me?”

“You know it,” you responded, hearing how fake your tone sounded with each word. Cringing, you continued before he had any time to point out the slip-up, “Sorry, I’ve been really out of it all day. I just wanted to ask you a question.”

He paused for a moment, but even through the phone you could tell he was wearing his signature grin, “...Is it a sexy question?”

“No, no, I would text you if I wanted to ask a sexy question. This is serious.”

His tone changed to one of concern, and you could almost see his brow knitting together in confusion, “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

You hesitated for a moment, tracing your finger along the fabric of your sheets as you spoke, “I… I don’t know. I would say I am, but I saw something today and I just can’t get it out of my head. I feel like I’m going crazy or something, Kokichi.” You took a deep breath, noticing how your words began to shake, “I haven’t gotten all of my memories back. Dr. Sato said the fake ones were supposed to be faded by now but they feel even more real than the ones from our old life. And the worst part is… I think I saw Aki today.”  
“...What?” he breathed out, barely audible.

“I know I sound crazy but I saw him, flesh and blood. He was in the hall when I was going in to second hour, and he winked at me! There was no way it wasn’t him, I could feel it in my chest,” you said as you turned onto your back, putting your phone on speaker and laying it beside you. Calling him was supposed to help ground you, but now your thoughts were even more aloft than before.

He let out a pained sigh, “(y/n) you know it had to have been someone else. Aki, he isn’t real. None of them were.” He paused in thought, “Maybe it was just a fan? You are famous, you know, and cute too. It wouldn’t be a surprise for some random stranger to wink at you.”

You felt your voice start to break, “No, everything was the exact same from those memories, it’s not some coincidence. Please, you have to believe me, Kichi.”

“(y/n)—”

“Please, listen. I trust my intuition, and every inch of my body is telling me it was him. I know it goes against all logic and everything Dr. Sato told us, but maybe he wasn’t completely made up. Maybe he was a real person, even if our memories weren’t. Kokichi, do you believe me?”

His line went silent for a moment too long and you felt your heart skip a beat, that is, until you heard him lightly exhale, his tone steady and trusting as he spoke, “I do. I believe you.”

“Thank you,” you said, feeling a genuine smile tug at your lips for a second before dissipating, “Hey, you know what's weird?”

“You?”

You laughed, “Very funny smartass; I’m being serious. It’s about my memories, both sets of them. It’s strange, I feel like the fake ones have just gotten stronger, while the real ones are fading away. I can barely even remember the day we met for real, but I can almost quote the day we met in the fake ones word-for-word. I thought they were supposed to be gone by now?”

“They were, but I feel the same way. I thought I was the only one,” he explained, and you could hear him shift in his bed over the speaker, “Remember that day though, on top of the roof when Hana introduced us? You didn’t even realize we were in the same class.”

Grabbing the phone, you shot up in your bed with a feigned anger, “Hey, look who’s talking, mister ‘I completely forgot you existed’. And if I remember correctly, _you_ were the one who thought I was hot and flirted with me that day.”

“Oh yeah, how?”

“You said I had a cute name! That’s a totally flirtatious move right there, even Tadashi, the densest guy on the planet, knew you were trying to flirt. Man, for an amazing liar you are really bad at subtlety,” you recalled, leaning against the wall as if he was there next to you, “Hey, can we… keep talking about this? Our fake memories? I know we’re not supposed to, but it just feels…”

“Right?”

“Right. It feels real. Sometimes I just want to close my eyes and pretend I’m back there with everyone, going on adventures and fucking things up in Shin’s beat-up minivan. It sounds selfish, because I know we have friends now and they’re amazing, but it’s just not the same. I miss them, I miss DICE.”

“I do too, so much,” he agreed dejectedly, “Hey, do you remember that one night we snuck into that old abandoned hospital like an hour away? When we went to tag it up while Dai and Honoka stood watch ‘cause they were too afraid to go in?”

Your eyes lit up with excitement, “Yeah! Dude, we took some really awesome pictures in there. I wish I still had them.”

“Me too. And remember what happened midway through? We held hands for the first time in there. We went off to explore on our own so you could find a blank wall to tag and a rat scared the shit out of you, so you made me hold your hand for the rest of the night in case you got spooked again.”

“Hey, you know you liked it just as much as I did. You would’ve called anyone else in the group a pussy if they did the same thing!”

He laughed, “You know, I think you’re right. I guess I just have a soft spot for my favorite girl.”

You felt your cheeks heat up as you shifted to lay back down, curling up under the blankets once again, “Hey Kokichi?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you come over?”

“...I’m on my way.”


	6. Ablaze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait guys, I've just had a pretty hectic few weeks here. For one, my sister got married (which was super amazing!), and I was also in my school's spring play! I hope you guys like this chapter though, and I promise to be more quick with updates in the future!!!!

Night had just fallen, the sun dipping under the horizon just minutes before to cloak the city with a cool darkness. The temperature was dropping as the transition into autumn became more apparent, accompanied by cold winds and an icy precipitation that fell every so often. Thankfully, you had taken shelter from the chill that night, surrounded by pillows and blankets at a house not too far away from your own.

You were situated on the floor, leaning against the couch with a blanket draped over your lap as you worked on a packet from physics. Occasionally you would scribble in an answer with your pencil, the graphite smudging as your hand dragged over the paper to solve an equation. While you were doing so, a tingling sensation made its way from your head down your back as a pair of hands played with your hair, tugging the strands into what you could only assume was an attempt at a braid. The curses that slung from the owners mouth, however, told you it wasn’t going as well as she had planned.

“What the hell is wrong with your shitty hair!?” Miu asked, combing her hands through the failed plait to try again, muttering under her breath “Fuck the French and their shitty ass braids, who do they think they are, anyway? You know what, they can stick their little baguettes right up their—”

“Miu! I don’t want to hear about anyone’s… _baguettes_ ,” Tenko exclaimed, looking up from her literature homework as her face twisted into a look of disgust. She shifted in her spot, leaning in closer towards Himiko in what you could only assume was an effort to cleanse her mind from the picture Miu had put in it. In response, the smaller girl leaned closer as well, resting her head gently on Tenko’s shoulder.

Kaede let out a laugh from her spot beside you, the homework she had brought over being long done and sat beside her in a neat pile. With a smirk, she turned towards Miu, “Yeah, nobody hears what you do with baguettes, perv.”

You felt a sharp tug at your hair, sucking the air through your teeth in pain. Miu, however, ignored your complaint, her face going red as she spoke, “Hey, I never said _I_ wanted to do anything with baguettes! If anything, _you’re_ the pervert, Akamatsu! Maybe you’re the one who really wants to fuck a good baguette, huh!? Or maybe not just any baguette…”

“Miu…” you warned.

She refused to listen, continuing in a feigned whisper, “Maybe, you just want to fuck Shuichi’s baguette.”

“Okay, that’s it!” Kaede exclaimed, grabbing the pillow she was leaning against and jumping to her feet, pelting it at Miu’s face. The other girl recoiled, pausing in shock at the hit for a moment before taking the pillow in her hands, standing up and slamming it against Kaede’s body with a manic laugh.

You got up from your spot, about to intervene, when you felt something cushioned hit the side of your head. Turning around, you saw Angie sitting on the couch, a sweet smile plastered over her features as she reached to grab another pillow. Before you could let her, you launched the nearest one towards her, only to get hit with another coming from Maki. Soon enough, all you could see through the living room was different patterns of fabric flying through the air, no one being left unscathed as a war of pillows broke out. Even Kirumi, who was still not used to the normalcy of just being a teenager, was laughing as she used a blanket to shield herself from the line of fire.

It was only when Himiko froze that the chaos died down, her voice bringing everyone to a halt as she spoke, “Wait, be quiet for a second guys. I could’ve sworn I just saw something move outside.”

You peered out the window, though it was only darkness that looked back. Maybe she had just mistaken one of your reflections for something else, you thought, that is, until you saw a flash a movement from behind the bushes. Tensing up, you turned to the group, “Did you guys just see that?”

The girls nodded, and you backed away from the front of the house in fear. Everyone did, besides Himiko, who ran up to the door to make sure it was locked, before swiftly returning to her previous spot. From beside her, Maki asked, “Do you think some crazed fan found your address?”

Himiko shrugged her shoulders, but her face was stark white. At the sight of her fear, Tenko’s paranoia seemed to dissipate, and she stepped forward, “I’ll go check it out. It’s probably just a raccoon or some other animal.”

“Are you sure?” You asked, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, it’s like ten o’clock at night. This—” you motioned around with your hand, “—is how horror movies begin.”

“No, I’ll be okay; Tenko can handle anything! And, if it’s some gross man trying to kill us, I’ll be sure to beat his ass before he could even get the chance!” she said with a self-assured grin, leaning down to pull on her shoes before unlocking the door, pulling it open and disappearing out into the dark night.

Nobody moved an inch while she was gone, the most you were able to muster up the courage for being a concerned whisper. But the silence didn’t last long, as a minute later a scream ran out from the front yard, one you knew to be Tenko’s. Your breath seemed to stop at the sound, your lungs closing up in a fit of panic as a familiar scent made its way to your nose, revolting and iron-laced. The cozy living room you had made your home in for most of the night slipped away, revealing the dark walls of the academy underneath. The library, it was the library you knew all too well from your first few days there, clearer than anything else had been since you had returned from the simulation.

After a few moments the scene faded back to reality, your senses coming back with it. In an instant everyone was running after the source, you stumbling for a moment before finding your footing, tearing through the front door and out onto the lawn, most not even bothering to take the steps as they jumped off the porch in search of her.

Thankfully, you found Tenko a few feet away near the bushes surrounding Himiko’s house, safe and unharmed. The same couldn’t be said for the boy she had in a headlock, however, the upward spikes of violet hair telling you the victim was Kaito. They weren’t the only ones there, however, as Kokichi was crumpled on the grass a few feet away as if he had been pushed over.

“We heard you scream,” you breathed out with fatigue from running, though confusion was laced in your tone, “What the hell happened!?”

Tenko released her grip on Kaito, letting him fall to the ground with a prominent thud, “I was wrong, it wasn’t an animal in the bushes. It was these two _spying_ on us! They were peeping through the window like little creeps!”

“For the record, you shouldn’t keep your curtains wide open like that at night, especially when the lights are on; anyone can see in,” Kokichi said, pulling himself up with a pained groan to approach you, “By the way, I totally thought pillow fights were only something that happened in movies, not at actual sleepovers. Too bad it wasn’t as sexy, I always imagined that you guys would be wearing way less clothing.”

“Why were you spying on us?” Maki asked coldly.

Kaito got to his feet as well, shifting uncomfortably under her dark stare, “We weren’t being perverts, babe, I promise! We’re hanging out next door with the boys, and I got dared to go peep on you guys and tell everyone what you were doing.”

“Then why is _he_ here?” Miu questioned, pointing towards Kokichi, who returned the gesture with a sly smirk.

Kaito gave a sigh, “He was the one who dared me! He wanted to go to ‘make sure I completed the dare’.”

“To be completely honest, that was a lie by yours truly. I mostly just wanted to see as well, maybe catch you guys comparing bra sizes,” Kokichi said with a wink, to which Tenko shoved him once again, sending him tumbling onto the grass. He didn’t stay down for long, however, taking off in a run towards Rantaro’s house as soon as he got his footing, letting out a sharp laugh, “Totally worth it!”

Tenko followed after him in a sprint, hot on his heels as she shouted, “All men are such perverts! I’m going to kill you! Get over here, coward!”

In one swift movement, Kokichi hopped the fence leading into Rantaro’s backyard, seeking solace in what you presumed to be the rest of the boys relaxing back there. Tenko, however, would not go down without a fight, vaulting herself over the enclosure with even less effort than Kokichi had. You had to say, her physical prowess impressive when she was pissed, especially when it came to Himiko’s privacy.

The sound of a smack rang out through the air, so loud you knew it had to have left a mark, the image of Kokichi having a Tenko-sized handprint on his cheek causing you to let out a laugh. The others joined in as well, Kaito moving to put his arm around Maki, the smaller girl looking away with pink cheeks as he spoke, “We have a fire going back there, if you guys want to chill with us for a bit.”

A murmur of agreement went through the group, and moments later you found yourself situated around the bonfire pit, relaxing in a bench beside Miu. At your arrival, Rantaro had brought out more blankets from inside, a large, warm comforter shared between you and Miu, draped around both of you to protect from the bitter chill of the air untouched by the hearth.

Rantaro returned from inside for the final time, handing Kokichi a pack of ice before sitting down in his seat, “Alright, more people, more fun. Now, where did we leave off… oh, right! Kaito, you were just dared, weren’t you?”

“Yeah man, and I have the perfect target,” he said, leaning forward and staring at one person in particular, “Shuichi, my favorite bro, truth or dare?”

Shuichi hesitated, his eyes flashing upwards in thought for a moment as he weighed his options, before he decided, “Truth.”

“Boring!” Miu exclaimed, causing you to let out a giggle.

Kaito ignored her outburst, an almost sinister smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “What is the last thing you looked up on your phone?”

A chorus of “ooh”’s rang out around the fire, accompanied by a few laughs that mingled in with the crackling of the hearth. The boy in question shrank back in his seat, his face flushing a red color visible even in the darkness of the night as he pulled out his phone, the bright screen illuminating his features even more. You watched as he unlocked it, his thumb moving to pull up his browser to check the history, his cheeks getting darker at what he saw. Swallowing hard, he spoke quietly, “...How to tell if your crush likes you back.”

This time, everyone broke into laughter, even Shuichi joining in after the embarrassment subsided, albeit the pink dusting his features still remained. From beside him, you could see the way Kaede’s demeanor perked up through her giggles, and a smile made its way onto your lips. They were made for each other.

After everyone recovered, it was Shuichi’s turn to pick the next victim, his eyes scanning the circle until they landed on Kiibo, who you assumed hadn’t gone yet by the look of excitement on his face, “Kiibo, truth or dare?”

“Oh boy, I’m going to have to go with dare!” he said, the way his eyes lit up causing a pang of guilt to go through your chest. The poor, innocent boy had no idea what was coming for him.

Kokichi had the same idea, but you knew instead of guilt he felt excitement, as he got out of his seat to run over to Shuichi, whispering something into his ear. The other shook his head in dismissal, but Kokichi pressed on, and eventually Shuichi gave up with a sigh. Looking over to Rantaro, he asked in defeat, “Do you have any hot sauce?”

Rantaro nodded and got up from his seat, disappearing into his house a moment later. Kiibo was still oblivious to the nature of the game, a wide grin plastered across his features that only wrenched your heart more, but the damage was already done. A moment later, Rantaro returned with a shot glass filled to the brim with a fiery red liquid, placing it in Kiibo’s hand.

“What do I do with this?” Kiibo asked in a way that reminded you of an innocent child.

Shuichi shuttered, and you could see the regret go through his mind, but before he could respond, Kokichi took over, “You gotta drink it, Kii-boy! Just gulp down the whole thing, and make sure it really sits on your tongue for a sec to get the whole flavor—”

“Don’t listen to him. Just take it like a shot, it’s hot sauce,” Ryoma intervened, mimicking the action with his hand, “Just tip back down your throat in one go, like this.”

“How do you know how to take a shot?” Miu teased, giggling as she nudged your arm with her elbow, causing you to do the same.

Ryoma just shook his head dismissively, however, “Don’t worry about it.”

Kiibo looked down at the glass in his hand, his eyes seeming to analyze the liquid before he lifted it up to his lips, tipping the sauce back in his mouth. In one movement, the small cup was emptied as he swallowed all of it down without flinching. Setting the glass back down on the arm of his chair, he gave a sigh of satisfaction and smacked his lips, the smile he always wore still gracing his features, “That was easy!”

“What?” Kokichi asked, his brows knitting together in confusion, “It doesn’t… burn at all? Like, no spicy sensation in your mouth whatsoever?”

“No? I wasn’t aware that it was supposed to burn. Was that why you were all acting so weird?” Kiibo replied innocently, to which everyone nodded slowly, each person sitting around the fires eyes widening in shock. The boy shrugged, “Well, I guess I have a high tolerance for spicy food, how interesting! It’s my turn now, correct?”

“Um, yeah dude…” Kaito said, trailing off as he grabbed the glass from the arm of Kiibo’s chair, running his finger along the side to pick up some of the remnants of hot sauce, popping it into his mouth. In an instant, his face contorted into one of pain as he set the cup back down harshly, letting out a cough and grabbing his water from beside him, chugging half of it in one breath.

Ignoring his outburst, Kiibo regarded the circle around the fire with his phone held out in front of him, his eyes landing on you as he asked, “Oh, you have not gone yet! (y/n), truth or dare!”

“Hm, I think I’m gonna go with dare,” you shrugged, a smile crossing your lips. Knowing Kiibo, you were probably going to get the least malicious challenge out of the group, due to his ignorance of the intentions behind the game. Placing your hands behind your head, you leaned back with a cocky attitude, sticking your tongue out at Kokichi who shot a jealous glare at you from across the flames.

Despite your confidence, things didn't go as planned when Kiibo held up his phone to his face, the screen illuminating his features as he spoke, “Thankfully, I found this app that tells me what to dare you! Okay, so if I just press this button—” he tapped his finger on the screen, “—there! Now, what you have to do is... kiss the person to your right!”

Your eyes went wide as you turned your head to the side, locking your gaze with the person in question. Miu. Her entire face was flushed a vibrant red as she leaned back slightly, “What! Why would I—!? Why would we—!? You… you pervert!”

“Dude, it’s alright. One kiss won’t kill us, unless you’re too much of a pussy,” you challenged, knowing the taunt would be enough to calm her down. She was your best friend, after all, one kiss wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Right?

The challenge seemed to work though, as her look of embarrassment quickly morphed into that of competitiveness, narrowing her eyes, “What did you just say? Miu Iruma is _not_ a pussy.”

“Then prove it.”

In an instant her hands were on your cheeks, cupping your face as she pulled you closer and crashed her lips onto yours. It wasn’t a pleasant kiss, instead being rough and intense as she tugged you towards her, but you hadn’t expected anything less from Miu. In any other situation you imagined she might’ve been more gentle, but it was clear that the circumstances was anything but normal. In a way, you were asking for it when you provoked her in the first place.

As quickly as the kiss started, however, it was over as she pulled away, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. A few of the boys wolf-whistled when you two broke apart, or more specifically, Kaito and Kokichi did, to which you shot them a glare. That didn’t deter Kokichi, however, instead giving you his signature grin as he held up his phone for you to see, a low whistle escaping his lips. That bastard, you thought, brows furrowing in anger. He took a video.

Before you could lash out on him, Shuichi prompted the group to move on to the next person, most likely to save Kokichi from getting his ass beat. With a quiet groan you tried to search your mind for someone to ask, when the perfect revenge hit you. Smiling, you lifted your gaze to meet the small boy once again, the question laced with venom as you asked:

“Kokichi, truth or dare?”

 

* * *

 

 

The night went by quickly as your game of Truth or Dare fizzled out, devolving into a conversation similar to the one you had many nights before. Everyone was snuggled up under the warm blankets, a few cuddling close to get more heat in the cool night. Your head was resting on Miu’s shoulder comfortably, your cheek laying against the cotton fabric of her shirt as you listened to those speak around you, a few yawns passing through the lot as the conversation carried on. Fishing your phone from your pocket, you turned it on and winced at the bright screen, turning down the brightness to check the time. 3:37 AM.

The first one to retire back inside was Kiibo, Rantaro convincing him to get some rest after he fell asleep sitting up in his chair. After him, people slowly started moving back into the respective houses for their sleepovers, too tired to stay up any longer. The conversation slowly broke off into several smaller ones as everyone devolved into drowsy murmurings. When there was just a few of you left, Rantaro placed the lid back on the top of the fire pit, going to bed himself.

And soon enough, it was just you and Kokichi.

He moved over to where you were sitting, taking the vacant spot on the bench beside you where Miu once sat, pulling the other half of your blanket around his shoulders, “Hey.”

“What? You just couldn’t get enough of me?” you joked, tilting your head back to look at the sky, tracing the faint constellations with your eyes as you continued, voice softening, “Tonight was nice. Like, really nice.”

You felt him place his hand beside yours on the bench, his pinky finger resting on top of yours in a way you knew was deliberate. But you couldn’t care less, the warmth of his body near to you being a feeling you’ve grown to long for. He seemed to feel the same way, linking his pinky with yours, almost like a promise, while he spoke, “Yeah, it was. Aren’t you tired?”

“Not really,” you said with a shrug of your shoulders, turning your head to look at him once again, but after the words left your lips, so did a yawn.

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest, “Why don’t you go back inside, dummy? You need some beauty sleep, it’s almost four in the morning.”

Despite the way he chided you, the gentle tone of his voice made you want to fall asleep right then and there. But, you couldn’t bring yourself to close your eyes, instead shifting uncomfortably before shaking your head, “No, I’m alright. I’m probably gonna stay awake for a while longer. You can go inside if you want.”

“What, and leave you here alone? Now you’re acting like even more of a dummy!” he teased, but you could tell he felt the way your body tensed, as a second later his demeanor changed to one more serious as he asked, “Why are you afraid to sleep?”

You paused, of course he was able to figure out just what was bothering you. Taking a deep breath, you tried to put the way you were feeling into words, “I… it’s just really weird things have been happening, and I don’t like it. It’s really hard to explain, and I just want to have fun and be a teenager but it’s so hard when the slightest thing sets me off. Like today, when Tenko found you guys she screamed, do you remember that?”

“Of course, how could I forget? She roundhouse kicked me in the chest,” he said, painfully running his hand over his heart.

“Well, when she did, it was like I was back there in that damned school. It was like the world faded away and the only thing I could see was the library when Rantaro… you know. And this isn’t the first time it happened, during our first day at school when we were racing on the staircase, everything changed back into the academy like it did today. My therapist said the visuals were just PTSD, but I’m starting to doubt if that's what these really are. I know what my triggers are, I know how my PTSD works, and this isn’t it. And I’m scared, Kokichi,” you explained, feeling how your hands trembled as you moved them onto your lap.

He shifted the arm around your shoulders to your back, running his fingers up and down your spine in an effort to calm you down, his voice soothing to your ears, “Hey, it’s okay, (y/n). To be completely honest, the same thing has been happening to me too. You’re not alone, you’re not weird. I don’t know what the cause of it really is, but we’ll figure it out, okay?”

“It’s been happening to you too?” you asked.

He nodded grimly, “Yeah, I was actually going to bring it up with you sooner, but I didn’t want you to worry.”

“You know I’m always going to worry, especially when I have a dumbass like you as a best friend.” You nudged him with your elbow, “Do you know how much money I have saved up in case I had to bail you out of jail?”

“No?”

“Every birthday, Christmas, and any other holiday card I got with money in it since I was eleven, went towards the ‘save Kokichi’ fund. Believe me when I say, nothing you do is going to stop me from worrying,” you said, giving a weak laugh.

He lifted his hand up to brush a strand of hair away from your face, his fingers lingering on your cheek for a moment too long, “Well, thank God I have my favorite girl looking out for me. But, if you used the bail money we’d miss out on some hot conjugal visits—”

“And you ruined it,” you groaned with a roll of your eyes, but you couldn’t help feeling the heat that rose to your cheeks.

Kokichi grinned, moving his hand to cup your face as he ran his thumb softly over your lips, “Ruined what?”

His gaze was locked on yours, the intense violet color of his eyes still visible through the dark night. Any words you could think to say were caught in your throat as you stared back at him, leaning closer as if you were under a trance. In a moment, your eyes fluttered closed, the familiar smell of his cologne causing your heart to skip a beat. You could feel his presence get closer and your breathing hitched, until finally, your lips met.

 

_It was a given that after weeks of refusing, you’d eventually give in to sitting with Hana and Kiyo at lunch. Normally you would just eat in the classroom and wait for Hana to return, but even Kiyo, who was not usually very keen on speaking, voiced her feelings of missing you during the school day. That was the turning point for you, hearing her soft tone say something so genuine nearly bringing tears to your eyes, but you made sure not to let either of them know that._

_When you finally accepted Hana’s daily offer to sit with her at lunch, she was ecstatic. Practically pulling you out of your seat, she allowed you to grab your lunch before leading you up to the roof, a skip in her step as she did so. Even though you had agreed to it, you couldn’t help but feel the anxiety catch in your throat, knowing what waited for you once you reached the top. She had other friends, people besides Kiyo that you’d never met. You heard her talk frequently about having “meetings” with them, as well as a few from different schools, and the thought of talking to that many new people sent a chill up your spine._

_But it was too late to turn back, the door leading to the rooftop sitting right in front of you. Without a second thought, Hana swung it open, running out into the open air with her arms out above her, the pigtails she always kept her hair in swaying with her movements, “The weather is so nice! You picked the perfect day to join us, (y/n)!”_

_“Yeah, I really did,” you mused, feeling as a fresh breeze hit your cheeks and tangled through your hair. Spring was just beginning, the sun warming your skin as the wind cooled you down._

_Hana looked back towards you, seeming to notice the smile that tugged at your lips, reaching back to hold your hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze, “Come on, they’re waiting for us. I promise you’ll have fun. No, scratch that, I pinky-swear you’ll have fun.”_

_You raised an eyebrow, but unlaced your hand from hers and held out your pinky finger anyways, “You know, you’re so childish sometimes.”_

_“I know, but how else will you know that I really mean it?” she said, linking her finger with yours for a moment before letting go, “I only pinky-swear when it’s really important. And this is one of those times; I know you’ll like them, you just have to open up a little, like you did with me.”_

_Nodding in response, you allowed her to lead you over to a slightly secluded area near one of the corners where a group of four people sat. One of them you already recognized as Kiyo, her expression morphing into a sweet grin as she saw you and Hana approaching. The others, however, were almost foreign to your eyes. Two of them were upperclassmen, from what you could tell of their tie colors, a strikingly familiar boy with strawberry blond hair sitting beside another with spiked platinum locks._

_The odd one out, however, was the smaller boy resting at what would’ve been the head of the table, had they not been sitting on the ground. His body language gave off an air of confidence, his expression unreadable as he surveyed your appearance. It almost felt like a test of some sort, and you turned to Hana in search of the answers. All she did was smile, as if to say “you’re doing fine”, before dropping down into one of the open spots. You followed beside her, feeling the knot of anxiety in your stomach tighten as you did so._

_The smaller boy was the first to break the silence, pushing a lock of violet hair away from his face, “So, you finally decided to show up? It’s about time, I’ve been getting tired of Hana blabbering on and on about you.”_

_You expected her to get offended, but instead she just rolled her eyes, “(y/n), that’s Kokichi, but you probably know that already since he’s in our class.”_

_“Oh, um…” you trailed off, confusion clouding your mind. He was in your class? How could you ever miss seeing someone like him? Shifting slightly, you continued, “Yeah, totally.”_

_He seemed to see right through you, letting out a light laugh, “You don’t recognize me, do you? That’s okay, I completely forgot you existed until that idiot refused to shut up about you. (y/n), though, that’s a cute name.” He motioned to the spiky-haired guy next to him, “This is Tadashi, and this one over here—” he motioned to the other boy, “—is Aki; they’re in class 2B.”_

_You nodded at the new information, but couldn’t help but feel another pang of familiarity run through you at the latter’s name. But you shook it off, focusing on Kokichi’s previous comments. Should you be offended that he forgot about you, or flattered that he complimented your name? Either way, you still felt your cheeks heat up slightly in a way you hoped nobody would notice._


End file.
